Blood Oath: Destiny
by Kitty McGonagall
Summary: <html><head></head>One year has passed since the events of Blood Oath. New troubles are on the horizon for Ametsuki, her family and friends. And with the appearance of a supposed cousin, is anything what it seems to be? Full summary inside.</html>
1. Prequel

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

Summary: It has been one year since Yukiro was defeated and Ame awakened as her true self, Ametsuki Hoshioko. She said farewell to the one she loved, Hanabusa Aidou, and set out to begin her new life with her aunt, Shizuka Hio, one she sees as her father who became a vampire right after Ametsuki awakened, Satsujin Akira. As well as her aunt's attendant and one who is a distant relative, Ichiru Kiryu and Maria Kurenai. And even her best friend and her boyfriend, Yuki Kuran and Zero Kiryu. In the years' time, Shizuka has been hard at work tutoring Ametsuki and Yuki in how to behave as proper young ladies since they both lived in ways that are not becoming of a pureblood.

Though shortly after Ametsuki and Yuki attend their first soiree, which is meant to be their first public appearances as princess' of their respective families, another young vampire named Amami shows up saying she is Ametsuki's cousin due to how her father and Kiyoshi were brothers. But the appearance of this cousin sets into motion events that the two cousins are at the center of. Will they be able to escape the web being woven around them or will they only become more entangled the more they resist?

**Prequel**

The nights were always the same around this place. Nothing ever changed, except the fact that pictures and portraits that lined some walls of the estate showed the two living inhabitants having aged over the years. That of a young man with shoulder length perfect midnight black hair and steel colored blue eyes, and beside him in some was a young girl who was of a very small stature with the same eyes but with white short hair that was up near her jawline, but at the moment it was just past, with the same eyes as her older brother but with a gentler look.

Inside one of the vast rooms, the girl sat wearing a black dress as she was grieving the news that she and her older brother had received, that their father had been found but had been killed. The girl sat on her bed drawing her knees up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them. 'Why would someone have killed dad?' she thought to herself, granted she did not really remember him besides stories that her brother had told her. How he had been a very strong vampire but had been robbed of almost everything in his life. More so because he had been in love with a woman who had chosen another which had sent him in a downward spiral.

After several moments the girl looked over at the photo album and shifted herself only to move the album to her lap as she traced her fingers along the title on the cover. Kurai. Her family name, for her full name was Amami Kurai, the only daughter born to the family but still the younger of the two surviving members. She flipped the cover to the side as she looked down at the first picture that was her father, a tall handsome man with crimson eyes and elegant black hair tied back by a ribbon at the nap of his neck beside a woman with white hair grown out to her shoulder blades and steel colored eyes.

The only way that Amami could even put a face to her mother was with the old albums that she kept in her room due to how her mother died giving birth to her, and it was near the same with her father with her not really remembering the vampire that fathered her. All due to how he disappeared by the time she was a toddler leaving her older brother, Kal, to raise her as a father and a brother. Sure she had no regrets or any hard feelings towards anyone for the life she had lived to this point because her brother always gave her whatever she wanted, she loved him and would do anything for him.

As she was sitting there thinking on her older brother, there was a faint knock on the door, drawing her attention as she looked up to see that it was Kal as the door opened. He easily towered over his sister because she was only five foot five while Kal stood just over six feet in height, a perfect frame that was complimented by the suit that he was wearing, black due to how both of the siblings were in morning over the loss of their father. He looked toward her with a sympathetic look as he stepped inside and closed the door behind himself only to walk over and sit on the bed beside his sister.

"Looking at the old pictures again, Amami?" Kal asked in a smooth deep voice that was to Amami more smooth than even silk.

"Yeah, I was just trying to remember anything about dad because of how with his passing I have felt horrible that I do not remember him." Amami said only for her brother to reach out and put his arms around his sister and pull her closer to him.

"Shh…" he whispered softly as he held his sister close since to him she had always been more like a child at times, even now that she was sixteen years old. "There is no reason for you to cry, you know that father would have preferred to see you happy and smiling, because of how you are the mirror image of our late mother who gave her very existence to bring you into this world." Kal said before he leaned back and reached up cupping Amami's cheek in his right hand and then using his thumb to wipe away some tears that were falling.

"Okay, I won't cry, even though it hurts to know that both of them are now gone." Amami said as she smiled at her brother who merely smirked at her.

"That's a good girl." He said leaned forward closer to her. "Though there is something I need you to do for me." He whispered only for Amami to give him a confused look before Kal shifted and allowed his nose to brush along her neck only to gently prick her neck with one of his fangs before licking the little bit of blood away before the mark healed over.

"What do you need me to do?" Amami asked as her brother leaned back and looked at her with his crimson eyes glowing slightly due to how as she had suspected he was lusting for blood but her blood would not do it for him. "Whatever it is, I will do anything for you." She declared as her brother smirked since that had been what he had known she would say.

Though it was several moments before Kal spoke to his little sister. "I wish for you to meet our guest that arrived just before we got the news of our father passing." Kal said in a calm tone only for his sister to look at him with confusion on her face at hearing that request.

"Our guest? The one that you have been talking to a lot?" Amami asked for clarification as her brother nodded at her.

"Yes, and he is well enough now that it should be alright for you to meet him." Kal said since their guest had shown up only worn out and in need of a day or so of rest but he had been keeping his sister from meeting the guest for various reasons. "Shall we go?" Kal asked as he shifted from the bed so that he was soon standing beside it holding out his hand to his sister as she inched to the edge of the bed and put her hand in her brothers as he helped her to her feet before turning while keeping Amami's hand in his own as they walked from the room.

After walking down several long corridors to get to the sitting room on the first floor, Amami was left alone with her thoughts in the silence as she walked along beside her brother. Just as they neared the sitting room she could tell by the flickering light that the candles were lit in the room even before her brother stepped forward a bit to push the door open before releasing his sister's hand and gesturing for her to go in. Amami only hesitated a second as she stepped in only to hear her brother follow behind her along with the door closing behind them as she looked toward the chair that had a high back concealing the one who was on the other side.

"My brother said it was alright for me to meet you, even though I have no idea who you are or how you came to be at our home." Amami said as Kal stepped closer and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"My apologies, my lord." Kal said as Amami gave him a confused look. "My little sister does not get to meet others of our kind that often due to how both of our parents have passed and to keep her from trouble I have kept her from the outside world."

Before Amami could say anything to her brother she heard a chuckle from the other side of the chair. "There is no need to apologize for her." A smooth voice that nearly rivaled that of her brother, something that caused Amami's heart to skip a beat for a second before it fluttered and calmed. "Does my voice please you?" the voice asked as Amami knew that they had probably heard the change in her heartbeat a second before.

"It reminds me of my brothers." Amami said truthfully as she tried to angle herself slightly to try and see who was in the chair because she could at most only see a slender arm in a long sleeve shirt that she could tell belonged to her brother. But besides that she could see a slender smooth and what she assumed was a graceful gentle hand. "Though who are you?" she asked only for her brother to move his hand from her shoulder and there was faint shifting from the chair as the figure stood.

They had a perfect build from what she could tell, shoulder length deep brown hair that seemed to not have a single strand out of place. Amami felt her heart skip a beat again before the male turned and fixed his red tinted brown eyes on her as she recognized him right away. The pureblood among purebloods. Kaname Kuran.

**A/N: **Well there is the prequel for the second book in the Blood Oath series. Hope everyone enjoys this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Until the next chapter.


	2. Chapter One: Reluctant Princess

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter One: Reluctant Princess**

It had been one year since Ametsuki had said her farewell to Hanabusa, and yet she had never found closure from the love she felt for him. Each morning as she went to sleep, she always found herself wishing that he would burst through her bedroom door or scale the wall to her balcony to say that he had found a way for the two of them to be together. But she knew that would not happen all due to how she was still under the care of her Aunt Shizuka who was completely against her being with Hanabusa after the events that had taken place. Though Ametsuki had tried countless times to convince her aunt that what had happened had not been Hanabusa's fault because of how he had been under Yukiro's hypnosis, Shizuka refused to budge on the matter. So at the moment Ametsuki walked down the corridor to her room, feeling the presence of her protector and adopted father, Satsujin.

In the last year he had taken to being like a father to her, and protected her even more fiercely, not that it was necessary. All due to how until Shizuka saw it as that Ametsuki and Yuki were ready to be introduced into vampire society, they were to remain locked inside the Hoshioko estate. Something Shizuka had told both young princess' was for their own good. That Kaname Kuran was still out there and there was no telling if he would aim to do anything to either of them or not. So to that end, Yuki had accepted it to an extent since Zero had, surprisingly, agreed with Shizuka that it was best for the two young vampires to not leave the grounds. Ametsuki on the other hand, hated being caged.

And as luck would have it, she was planning yet another escape attempt once she was in her room away from prying eyes, but the second she opened her door she felt a hand on her shoulder as she froze and turned to look only to see that it was her aunt. "Aunt Shizuka?" Ametsuki asked trying to play being innocent of what she was about to attempt for the tenth time that week, and it was only Wednesday.

Shizuka looked the same as she had a year before, only difference was her expression was kinder than it had been, something Ametsuki thought was due to her having regained a member of her family she had thought was dead for fifteen years. Though Shizuka shook her head at her niece as she soon spoke. "A little birdy told me that you might be planning to try and run away again." She said in a hurt tone since she just wished to keep her niece safe.

Ametsuki gave her a bit of a guilty look before she turned to face her aunt more. "Only because it has been a year and you have not allowed Yuki or me outside the gates of the estate. We are no more than prisoners here because most of the time we are not allowed to even be in the garden without someone right there with us and another hiding in the shadows." Ametsuki said with a hint of frustration in her voice. "I just want to have freedom again." She said only for Shizuka to walk past her.

"Come here." Shizuka said as she kept walking only to go to the balcony of the room and slip past the lace and silk curtains that were lightly fluttering in the wind as she could feel her niece behind her. "Look toward the gate and tell me what you see there." She said as Ametsuki walked over.

She listened as her foot falls as she walked, due to how she was wearing flat white slippers that made only a subtle sound as she stepped on the stone that made up the balcony. Once she was beside her aunt, Ametsuki leaned forward resting her pale hands on the stone rail she felt her light pink dress that was hugging her small figure to her waist then hanging loose down past her knees shift with the subtle movements. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them as her cerulean eyes focused on the gate in the distance. At first she didn't see, but once she did her eyes widened.

"Level E's?!" she asked in shock as she was still staring at the gate. "Why would there be Level E's here?" she asked in worry.

"I am not sure why, but we have been trying to look into it and so far all we can tell is that they are not coming here at random." Shizuka said as Ametsuki closed her eyes only to sigh ever so slightly. "So that is part of why I do not want you or Yuki leaving the grounds, because neither of you know what you are doing yet with your powers as purebloods." Shizuka said as she turned but she stopped once she heard Ametsuki's voice.

"There is more to the reason why you are keeping us locked away in here, isn't there?" Ametsuki asked only for Shizuka to look back at her, meeting her nieces cerulean eyes with her own pink hues. "I don't want to be kept in the dark anymore, please if there is something going on, tell me." Ametsuki pleaded.

"I will tell you tonight, now get to bed." Shizuka said as she walked to the large glass door that connected Ametsuki's room to the balcony only to stop. "And do not try to leave because today there is more than just Satsujin keeping an eye on you." She said as she walked through the curtains and disappeared, leaving Ametsuki alone on the balcony.

/

At the Aidou villa, one remained awake even as the first rays of sunlight started to color the sky with a wide hue of colors. Hanabusa Aidou sat on his bed with numerous old books littering around him as he poured over four large volumes at a time. He had been trying to find a way around the way society worked, that the purebloods were not allowed to marry who they chose but who was picked for them by the matriarch or patriarch of the family should the direct parents no longer be alive. 'There has to be a loop hole in here somewhere…' he thought to himself only for there to be a knock at the door. His blue eyes went to the door as he spoke. "Yes?" he called as he reached up running a hand through his blonde hair that was slightly disheveled since he had not bothered to keep it in place at the moment.

When the door opened it was to show one of the maids, Setsuna a common level vampire. She stood a good head and shoulders shorter than Hanabusa while he was standing. She had long black hair that fell to her waist that she wore half up allowing her dull green eyes to be seen, all of which blended into her typical black and white maid uniform she wore. "I am sorry to bother you, Master Aidou." She said as she opened the door more and bowed only for Hanabusa to stand up and stretch.

"No need to apologize, Setsuna. What do you need?" he asked as he finished stretching after his back popped a few times.

"Your father, Lord Aidou, asked me to give this to you." She said holding out a piece of paper as Hanabusa walked over and took it from her before reading it as his eyes narrowed at the text on the letter.

"Is this all?" he asked in a calm tone.

"Yes." Setsuna said as Hanabusa did a slight wave with his hand.

"You are dismissed, Setsuna." Hanabusa said as she bowed her way out and he looked over the letter again wondering just what was going on with why his father would be doing this. A soiree to honor the princess of the Kuran family and the princess of the Hoshioko family a year after they had been revealed. 'Something isn't right, no one is even supposed to know about the two of them…' Hanabusa thought as he sat down on his bed and looked out toward the rising sun, something that seemed dull compared to the light from the smile of the girl he yearned to see again.

'Maybe if she does come to the soiree I will see her again, even if from a distance since I doubt I will be allowed near her…' he thought to himself as he fell to his side on his bed soon dozing off not noticing that Setsuna slipped back into his room to draw the curtains to cast the room into near perfect darkness.

'What is weighing so heavily on your mind?' she thought to herself since in truth she had been brought on as a maid and a nurse for Hanabusa when he had been only a child, so she had all but watched him grow up. 'Ever since when you got back from Cross Academy following its destruction you have not been the same.' She thought to herself with a sad expression as she looked at Hanabusa's sleeping face as she soon headed from the room. "Sleep well…" she whispered as she closed the door.

/

The following night around ten Ametsuki sat perched on the rail of the balcony of her room as she stared up toward the crescent moon over head. She could not help but feel nostalgic due to how it had already been a year since she had awakened to her true self, something that actually brought a faint chuckle from her lips. All due to how at the moment she was actually hiding the pain of the love she had lost forever and one she had been forced to turn away from. At the thought of her late adopted mother, Misaki, Ametsuki reached up as she opened her mouth ever so slightly as she touched her fingers gently to her fangs that were not that pronounced at the moment. 'She gave everything she could in order to allow me to keep living…' Ametsuki thought to herself as she removed her hand from near her mouth as it fell to rest at her side on the rail of the balcony as she was wearing a knee length sky blue long sleeve dress that hugged her figure down to her waist then hung loose. At the moment she was wearing matching slippers, not that Ametsuki even seemed to notice.

'Just how long does Aunt Shizuka plan to keep Yuki and me locked up here? Even with the presence of random Level E's, surely there is no other reason, or maybe she is still hiding things from me about what is going on…' she thought to herself since they had remained locked in the estate since they had departed the academy. Sure some members of the Senate had tried to come by but they never got past the gate due to how Zero and Ichiru kept near a constant watch. 'Hanabusa…' Ametsuki thought as she closed her eyes only to see the face of the one she loved. 'I want to see you again…' she thought before she heard her door open as she remained where she was only to feel herself being hugged from behind as a wave of long brown hair moved about her and the one behind her. "Hi Yuki." Ametsuki said in a neutral tone.

"Thinking about him again?" Yuki asked as she moved her arms away from Ametsuki and moved so she could hop onto the railing before sitting beside her friend. A simple bit that drew Ametsuki's attention to Yuki to notice she was wearing a light pink dress that was of the same style along with matching slippers. Though as Ametsuki looked away from Yuki, she heard her friend sigh. "You are, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Though can you blame me? It has been a year since we saw one another and from what my aunt said a million times over, there is no way that I will ever be allowed to be with him." Ametsuki said in a sad tone. "All due to how she would never give her blessing to me being with him, and neither would Satsujin." Ametsuki clenched her fists at her sides.

"You know that they only want what is best for you. After what he did…I cannot blame them for not giving their blessing." Yuki said in a cautious tone due to how she knew Ametsuki at times could get worked up when someone brought up what had happened a year before.

"He was not himself!" Ametsuki growled as she clenched her teeth.

"I know but you know that as the matriarch of the Hio family that Shizuka has the final say in matters like that." Yuki said as she put a hand lightly on Ametsuki's. "And while I know you would love to see him again, there has not even been any word on where he went after the two of you parted ways." Yuki said in a sad tone since she could tell that being without Hanabusa was tearing at her friend in more ways than one.

"I know, but I refuse to give up that we will see one another again!" Ametsuki declared in a determined tone before she looked to Yuki to see her pulling something from a pocket on her dress. "What is that?" Ametsuki asked as she saw a crumpled piece of paper in her best friend's hand.

"It is an invitation to a soiree, and from what Zero found out someone in particular is going to be there." Yuki said as a second later the paper was torn from her hand and Ametsuki was un-crumpling it before scanning it frantically.

Once Ametsuki was finished reading it she looked toward Yuki with a grin on her face. "We have to get Aunt Shizuka to let us go to this!" she said as she hopped up onto the rail and then jumped down onto the balcony as Yuki turned and slid off of it.

"But you know," Yuki said in a worried tone. "If she finds out the reason that you want to go is to see him you know she will say no." Yuki said only for Ametsuki to shake her head.

"That will be the main reason, but you know that everyone has been biting at the bit to see the two of us, the two vampire princess' that vanished only to reappear suddenly." Ametsuki said as she grabbed Yuki's hands almost bouncing up and down with anticipation. "Please help me convince her!"

Yuki could not help but laugh a little at the excitement that Ametsuki was showing because of how she had not seen her this excited in a while. So after a few moments she relented. "Alright, I will help you."

/

By around midnight Ametsuki and Yuki sat in the library as tonight was to be a lesson on balance, something both girls had been suffering with for the last few weeks. At least in terms of the exercises they had to do. So now Shizuka stood before the two girls who were struggling to remain sitting upright under the weight of the dictionaries perched on their heads. Though when both seemed to manage that for a few moments, she spoke. "Now, stand and do not drop them." Shizuka instructed as in unison both girls went to stand only for both to lose their balance and fall to the floor with thuds from their bodies hitting the rug and from the dictionaries smacking into the rug with a fair amount of impact.

"This exercise is impossible!" Ametsuki grumbled as she sat up rubbing her head only to adjust herself so she was sitting on the rug looking toward her aunt. "Isn't there another way to go about doing this without the dictionaries?"

"There is but this way the lesson sinks in faster." Shizuka said as she watched while Yuki and Ametsuki slowly got up. "Because sooner or later you will have to make an appearance as the heiress' of your respective families." She said with a hint of disapproving in her voice at the thought of the two having to do something like that.

"That may actually come sooner rather than later." Ametsuki said only to receive a shocked look from her aunt. "There has been a formal soiree announced and they want both Yuki and me to attend." She said as she held out the piece of paper that Yuki had shown her before, which was taken from her hand in a second as her aunt scanned the letter. 

"Yuki, leave us." She said as Yuki looked surprised but she did as she was told as she turned and gave her friend a reassuring smile before leaving the room to go find Zero. Though once the door closed, Shizuka walked over to a chair and sat down as she stared at the piece of paper for a moment longer before allowing her arm to gently fall on the arm rest so that she was seemingly sitting there idly but in truth anyone who knew her well enough could see that she was stressed. "Come here." She said to her niece who walked over and knelt before the chair her aunt was sitting on. "What did we just talk about last night?" Shizuka asked in a low tone as she gave Ametsuki an annoyed look. Sure she loved her niece beyond all measure, but at the moment she was really testing her patience.

"We talked about how Yuki and I were being kept inside the walls of the estate because neither of us have developed our abilities to the point that should something happen that we would be unable to defend ourselves." Ametsuki said as Shizuka nodded at her.

"Yes, and there is more to it." Shizuka said as she reached out lightly catching Ametsuki's hand and guiding it up close to her face. "Something I can see in your eyes." Shizuka said as her eyes took a faint crimson look before she shifted her niece's wrist only to sink her fangs gently into Ametsuki's wrist, something that no longer made Ametsuki flinch. After a brief second of drinking Shizuka leaned back as the bite marks on her niece's wrist healed over. "You still hold love in your heart for that boy." She said as she looked at Ametsuki with a sad look in her pink eyes.

"And if I do?" Ametsuki asked turning her face to look away from her aunt.

Though Shizuka did feel pained by Ametsuki's answer, she leaned forward moving her hand to the side of her niece's face and guiding it so that the two were once again looking at one another. "I am merely wanting to protect you from the pain that comes with having fallen in love with one that you cannot be with." Shizuka said as Ametsuki stood and walked away from her aunt over to the large floor to ceiling window.

"I could be with him! If you would give your blessing on us even being near one another!" Ametsuki said as she lost her temper only for the glass before her to shatter and rain down on her but it never made contact due to how Shizuka used her own telekinesis to steer the shards away from Ametsuki. "I have looked it up, and all of the laws and text dealing with when a pureblood chooses to be with one who is not one it only requires the approval of the patriarch or matriarch of the family." Ametsuki said as Shizuka was slowly walking over closer to her. "Why won't you?" Ametsuki asked as a few tears fell down her pale face. "When you say that all you want is my happiness but you will not allow me to be with the one that I love."

Shizuka felt as though she was being stabbed through the heart with each word that her niece was saying. She knew that there was more to why she would not allow her niece to be with Hanabusa, at least not yet. There was still one key factor that she was hiding from her niece, something she had actually removed from her while drinking her blood before the spell on her was broken before. Though once she was close to Ametsuki she moved her arms up and around her niece's small figure and pulled her close so that the child was crying into the front of her yukata. "I am wishing to spare you the pain that I feel every day since I lost the one I fell in love." She admitted as Ametsuki continued to silently cry against her. "All I have ever wanted was your happiness, my precious Ametsuki." She said as she held Ametsuki tighter.

/

Yuki walked around until she found Zero sitting outside in the garden under one of the trees that was in bloom. "Zero!" Yuki said as she walked closer and sat down beside him as Zero shifted and opened his violet eyes and looked toward Yuki with a gentle look as he even had a trace of a smile on his face.

"Done with your lesson already?" he asked but Yuki shook her head.

"Shizuka dismissed me since she wanted to talk to Ametsuki alone about the soiree invitation that we got." Yuki said in a worried tone. "But then as I was walking around I heard a shattering sound only to go and check and saw that the large window in the library was shattered where not even the wood panes between the glass was left." She said as she looked down due to her being worried about her friend, that is until Zero had reached out and brushed his fingertips against Yuki's face and tucked some of her long hair back behind her ear.

"She is going through a rough time right now. Just be there for her and I am sure everything will be alright." Zero said just trying to reassure his girlfriend that it would be alright, even though deep down he had a suspicion that there was something more going on than what was being told. More so from what he had seen keeping especially Ametsuki locked up in the home where she had seen her parents murdered as a child was doing much more harm than good.

"I hope so." Yuki said only for Zero to pull her closer and gently wrap his arms around her holding her close.

"I will go and speak to her in a bit and get this all figured out. That and if need be I will try to have a talk with Shizuka about the current situation." He said since he knew about the Level E's near the borders of the estate, and how in truth the Senate had been trying to personally get through to exterminate the insane vampire, Shizuka, and to capture the one who was a problem to all vampires, her niece, Ametsuki. Zero had only recently been allowed to know the truth behind why Ametsuki was seen as a major threat, a power that was unheard of for a pure blood to possess. Where through biting one she could not only grant them the curse of being a vampire, but also allow them to have free will. That and drinking her blood had the same effect to an extent, and from what he gathered it was for that reason that she had been under spells to conceal her until the previous year when the hunter, Misaki Kuren, had sacrificed herself to free Ametsuki from the control of another vampire.

"Zero?" Yuki asked as she reached up poking the side of Zero's face bringing him back from his deep thoughts as he shook his head at her before he stood and offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet.

"We should get back inside." He said as he kept her hand in his before he started to go back toward the front door of the estate with Yuki beside him as he was resolved to talk to Ametsuki when it got to be close to dawn when he was sure that Ichiru would be out patrolling the grounds while everyone else was resting.

/

A few hours later Zero excused himself from being with Yuki as he headed toward Ametsuki's room due to how he knew that after the bit in the library Shizuka had let Ametsuki drink some of her blood and then sent the distraught princess to bed. However as he neared the door he felt an uneasy feeling before he heard a cold voice.

"What are you doing here, Zero?" the voice of the woman who was still his master as a vampire, Shizuka asked as she stepped closer so that Zero could see her.

"I was wishing to check on Ametsuki because Yuki said she was upset." Zero said which was the truth but he was also wishing to find out what it was that Shizuka was hiding from Ametsuki due to how he had a feeling that it was the key to finding out why Shizuka would not let her niece be with the vampire that she loved.

"No need to be concerned." Shizuka said as she stepped closer giving Zero a cold look. "Go back to bed, but first, tell me the real reason you are here." She said in an order since she knew because Zero had never been permitted to drink the blood of her niece or feel Ametsuki's fangs pierce him that there was no possible way for him to resist an order from her.

Zero's violet eyes went slightly hollow as he lowered his eyes ever so slightly before he spoke. "I was wishing to find out more into why you will not let her be with Aidou because it is obvious that she is in love with him and him with her. So it makes no sense that you would say over and over that you wish for nothing more than her happiness only to not allow the one thing that would grant her lasting happiness." He said unable to help himself, something that still made him despise Shizuka.

Though at hearing the reason that he was outside of her niece's room, Shizuka's pink eyes narrowed into a harsh glare. "You are not to pursue this any further!" Shizuka said in a low almost threatening tone. "This does not concern you so just keep to yourself and never mention this suspicion again, especially not to Ametsuki!" Shizuka finished with a firm order, something that left Zero unable to do anything besides nod in understanding that he would do as she said. "Now go back to your and Yuki's room." Shizuka said as Zero turned and heading back in the direction that he had come from.

Once he was out of sight Shizuka looked toward the door that led to her nieces' room with a sad look on her face. 'If only there was a different way to go about making sure that you remain happy.' She thought to herself as she turned to walk away from the room only to soon feel a pair of eyes on her as she stopped. "Do not give me that disapproving look, Satsujin." She said since she knew who was there.

A second later Satsujin stepped out of the shadows as he looked the same as he had the year before, with blonde spiked hair, blue eyes. Though at the moment he was wearing a black tank top and black pants with his black boots and matching black gloves. "What exactly are you hiding that you do not want Zero or anyone for that matter to find out about?" he asked as he stepped closer.

"I am not hiding anything." Shizuka said as she turned her back to Satsujin only to feel him right behind her as his arms went around her shoulders and waist. "You have no idea how it sometimes frustrates me that you are not a vampire that fears the purebloods." She said casually since in truth she did find it frustrating but also amusing due to how he never hesitated to show the slightest bit of disrespect for her.

"Because of how you cannot order me to forget about what you are hiding the way you can with Zero?" Satsujin asked only for Shizuka to shrug away from his touch as he merely let his arms fall back to his sides. "I know that you want to protect her, that is one goal that the two of us continue to share to this day. However," Satsujin moved his arms up and crossed them before his chest. "Either you tell me what exactly is going on or I will use every possible means to get it from you." He threatened only for Shizuka to stop and look back at him with an amused look on her face with her pink eyes alight with laughter.

"You know that neither of us can use force on the other without it upsetting her." She said since that was the only reason the two sometimes got along despite how they had the potential to be together, but Shizuka was not willing to let anyone besides Ametsuki in past the wall she had built around herself after the loss of the human man she had once loved.

"There are other ways to go about extracting information than harming the one that I want to question." Satsujin said calmly only for Shizuka to turn to fully face him.

"You are not going to let this drop, are you?" she asked only for Satsujin to shake his head to show that he would not. "Very well." Shizuka said as she turned with the faint sound of the bell jingling that she wore. "Follow me." She said as she started down the corridor with Satsujin following behind her as she led him into the library. "Shut the door behind yourself." She ordered as he did so.

Shizuka walked over to the chair she typically used when in the library as she sat down Satsujin sat down not far from her. "Where do you want me to begin?" she asked.

"From the beginning." Satsujin said after a brief second of thinking it over all due to how he was sure this had something to deal with what had happened a year ago.

Shizuka nodded as she stood only to walk over to one of the far shelves as she reached up tracing her pale fingers along the leather spines of the large volumes on the shelf before her. "You of course know that Ametsuki was born to my younger twin and a man from the Hoshioko family." She said as she found the book she was looking for as she pulled it out and held it close as she walked back over to the chair as she offered the book to Satsujin. Once he took it she took a seat once again.

"I already know that part, and that because she had an odd ability, even among purebloods your mother, her grandmother, sealed her so that she would not have to live with the pressures of being a pureblood princess. Or deal with having to always live in hiding due to her odd ability." Satsujin said as he placed the large book on his lap as it felt like it weighed a good ten pounds. "Is there a point to this book?" he asked giving Shizuka a reluctant look.

"Yes, open it." Shizuka said as she kept her pink eyes locked on Satsujin hoping he would not take the truth to badly.

Though feeling Shizuka watching him so closely put Satsujin on edge ever so slightly he obliged and opened the book and started to flip through a few blank pages before he came to a picture that left him beyond shocked. The picture on the page was of Yukiro with a man who had white hair that was grown out to his shoulders and eyes that matched Ametsuki's only a little sterner. "What the hell is this?!" Satsujin exclaimed.

"Calm down and then I will tell you the full true story of Yukiro's ties to Ametsuki." Shizuka said as Satsujin sat there beyond shocked because he had always thought that it had been random that Yukiro had targeted Ametsuki and kidnaped her as a small child. But from the look of this picture, her father and Yukiro had once been friends in their youth.

**A/N: **I know I cut this off with a cliff hanger, but the connection will be explained in the next chapter. Does anyone have a guess on what the connection is? Were they best friends? Acquaintances? Or do you think there might have been a different connection between the two of them? I plan to have the next chapter up by early next week or sooner. And as a note that I forgot to put in the prequel yet again: _**I do not own Vampire Knight. I only own the characters that are not recognized from the series.**_ Until the next chapter.


	3. Chapter Two: Unfulfilling

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Two: Unfulfilling**

Shizuka sat waiting for Satsujin to be fully calm but from the look on his face, it would be another moment or two since she was sure seeing that old picture was a shock. Though when it got to be longer than she thought it should take to get over the shock she spoke up with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Why are you so surprised? Purebloods typically know all other purebloods since there is only a few of us left in the world." She said as Satsujin finally tore his blue eyes from the picture in the book to look at her.

"He was a pureblood? Yukiro?" Satsujin asked as Shizuka nodded.

"Yes, his full name was Yukiro Kurai. The patriarch of the Kurai family." Shizuka said only to fall silent for a moment before she continued. "He was also Ametsuki's uncle on her father's side." Shizuka said as Satsujin stood, the book falling with a crashing thud to the floor.

"HER UNCLE?!" Satsujin yelled in pure shock.

"Yes, now sit down!" Shizuka hissed in a low tone since she knew if he caused too much commotion then the others might come to check, but it was a few minutes before Satsujin slowly lowered himself back onto the chair. "Now, as I was saying." Shizuka said as she looked at Satsujin with a strained expression. "When Yukiro was younger he and Kiyoshi were once close but when Kiyoshi was chosen to become the new patriarch of the Hoshioko's, a rift formed between the two, where Yukiro renounced his last name before he could be stripped of it. All due to how he as not behaving the way that Uryu Hoshioko wanted his sons to." Shizuka said as she looked down slightly with a sad look on her face.

"Things only got worse when Yukiro took a different name and married a woman only to father a son a few years before Ametsuki was born. The moment my sisters' pregnancy was announced Yukiro went to his father saying his son would be a perfect match as the mate for Kiyoshi's daughter, and Uryu agreed, saying he would allow the union before Ametsuki was even born. At the time my sister was furious that her child was to be given to her nephew because he was a cold hearted child who had near no empathy for anyone around him, but he was extremely manipulative." Shizuka said as she closed her eyes.

"That was when my mother, Rei Hio, came up with the plan to seal Ametsuki to make her a common vampire so that Yukiro would lose interest in her marrying his son and have his son do what most purebloods do. Marry their sibling, something that was now possible due to how his wife had actually died giving birth to their daughter." Shizuka paused for a moment as Satsujin was sitting in silence listening. "But after the spell was done, the engagement was put on hold and Yukiro was furious since he wanted his brother's child for himself. So he attacked this very estate and killed his own brother and my sister to steal the child to try and force her back into being herself as a pureblood once again." Shizuka said as she opened her eyes to look toward Satsujin.

"So from the beginning, Yukiro had been after her?" he asked as Shizuka nodded. "And the arranged marriage?" He asked with a faint hesitance in his voice.

"It still stands." Shizuka said with a pained voice. "Ametsuki is the fiancé of Kal Kurai and I have been trying to get Uryu to back down since he has just as much say in matters dealing with Ametsuki as I do." She said shaking her head. "But he refuses to dissolve the arrangement saying that he has already lost both of his sons and he will not lose his granddaughter to me." She said as Satsujin gave her a confused look as she opened her pink eyes.

"Lose her? Why would he lose her if he says that the arrangement is off?" Satsujin asked as he had a feeling he knew what it was.

"Because he knows the second that Ametsuki is not bound to her cousin as his bride to be that I will claim her as my adopted daughter and allow her to do as she wishes." Shizuka said. "The only thing keeping me from doing it now is that I am just a guardian for her but so long as one who is a patriarch of the family lives, there is no freeing her." Shizuka said as she clenched her right fist as her arm was resting on the arm rest.

/

Kal sat in his large chair as he was facing the fire holding a piece of paper in his hand that was an invitation to a soiree coming up. After rereading the invitation a second time he lifted his steel colored hues to look at the male sitting opposite him as the light from the fire danced across both of their faces. "So, it seems that the Aidou family is holding a little soiree to allow your sister and my fiancé to make their first public appearances." Kal said in a borderline dark amused tone.

"So the engagement was never broken off by Lord Uryu?" Kaname asked as he eyed Kal with questioning eyes due to how at the moment he was still a guest in the Kurai house. "Even though her grandmother changed her from being one suitable for you to someone who was barely even a vampire?"

Kal let out a soft laugh as he let his hand holding the invitation fall to his lap. "This coming from the supposed 'King' whose fiancé was turned into a human for ten years and then decided to be with a former human vampire." Kal said in a snide tone before he looked toward the fire. "Uryu did not call off the engagement because I told him I was sure she would one day break the spell on her and that she would come back to me ready to be my bride." Kal said.

Kaname decided to ignore the comment about how his fiancé was in the arms of one he had spared just for the sake of helping keep her safe, never thinking for a second that she would fall in love with him and turn her back on all he had done for her. "Well, do you intend to go to the soiree to meet her? She is not the same as the one you met before because she was only a toddler at the oldest when you last saw her if I am correct." Kaname said as Kal nodded.

"Yes, the last time I saw her was also our first meeting because of how my father was greedy and had originally wanted Ametsuki for himself, but she will be mine." Kal said in a low tone as he stood and walked toward the fire holding the invitation. "And to answer your question, I do plan to go to this soiree because our wager still stands, and I cannot hope to win without a proper bride and I will have no other." Kal said as he tossed the invitation into the fire. But a few seconds later he heard a faint sound and looked toward the door with a gentle smile in place. "Come in, Amami." He said knowing it was his younger sister.

Something that was confirmed when Amami opened the door and stepped inside wearing a casual green dress that hung loose on her but seemed to be fitting for her. Her short white hair seemed to frame her face perfectly as the sides were held back by matching barrettes. "Were you and Lord Kaname speaking about something, big brother?" Amami asked as she walked over to Kal who gave her a one armed hug.

"Yes we were." He said with a gentle voice that Kaname found amusing due to how he was sure that Kal did not do it out of caring for Amami but to keep his sister under his thumb. "There is a soiree coming up soon where we will have a chance to meet our long lost cousin." Kal said as Amami looked at him with confusion evident on her pale face. "I forgot, you never got to meet her." Kal said acting as though he had forgotten but Amami smiled and shook her head at him.

"It is alright, big brother." She said giving him an innocent smile. "Though who is our cousin? Why have we not met her?"

"We have not because she was presumed dead ever since the murder of her parents. Our aunt and uncle. Lady Sachi and Lord Kiyoshi." Kal said as Amami's steel eyes grew wide.

"You mean the one who was to be your fiancé?" she asked as Kal nodded.

"Yes, young Lady Ametsuki." He said as Amami got a thoughtful look on her face.

"So we are all going to go to the soiree to meet her?" she asked as her steel eyes went to Kaname with a hopeful look but he shook his head at the hopeful young vampire.

"Just you and your brother since I am still not ready to go to such an event." He said as Amami pulled away from her brother and walked toward Kaname as Kal turned and started walking away from the room.

He knew full well that Kaname was seducing his little sister but he saw it as the least he could do to make things more interesting with the wager they had was to at least give Kaname that handicap. Though as he got to the door he opened it and spoke as he glanced back over his shoulder. "I will leave you two alone. Though Amami I will go ahead and figure out which dress you should wear to the soiree so you can spend more time with our guest." Kal said before stepping out of the room and quietly shutting the door behind himself before he started down the hall into the shadows.

/

Ametsuki was standing in the middle of the room wearing a full length blue dress that hugged her petite figure to her waist then hung loose to the floor where her feet were concealed but she was in heels at the moment. She had spent the past hour arguing with her aunt who said she would only allow Ametsuki to go with everyone to the soiree if she dressed accordingly. And in the short time since she had started to wear the evil heels, as she kept calling them, she had managed to face plant to the floor multiple times and ended up under the dictionaries she was told to carry on her hands and head to test for balance. So once again she stood there as she looked to her aunt who was sitting in her favorite chair.

"Now walk slowly but gracefully five steps forward, turn and then walk back." Shizuka said as she gave her niece a sympathetic look since she knew her niece was like her in this sense. That she was horrible with doing things the proper way, more so because Ametsuki had not been raised around this sort of thing.

After taking a deep breath Ametsuki started to slowly inch forward as she managed after several minutes to take the five steps and turn but she remained where she was almost unsure if she could do the last five steps back to where she had started. Though when she heard her aunt speak reminding her the exercise would be done once she took the last five steps without falling, Ametsuki took a deep breath before she stepped forward slowly making her way back to where she had been. Once she was back in the spot she looked toward her aunt and smiled beyond happy that she had managed to do it without falling finally.

"Very good, Ametsuki." Shizuka praised just as the door opened as Ichiru entered still wearing what he usually did, but he was not wearing the mask at the moment. Something that brought a sweet smile to Ametsuki's face, something Ichiru faintly returned before Shizuka spoke. "Is everything ready?" she asked as Ichiru bowed as he spoke.

"Yes, Satsujin is waiting downstairs for the next lesson." He said as Shizuka walked over to Ametsuki and proceeded to help her maintain her balance as they made their way to where she assumed was once like a ballroom due to how vast it was. Toward the center of the room Satsujin stood wearing his form fitting long sleeve black shirt with matching pants and his boots as he smiled at Ametsuki as Shizuka released her hand to let her walk toward Satsujin alone as Ichiru went to an old record player toward the side as he put on a record only to start the player as a gentle melody started to fill the room before Ametsuki even got to Satsujin who was standing holding out his hand to her in invitation.

Though once she stood before him she gave him a near shy smile as she placed a pale hand in his. "I am not sure if dancing is so wise because I have not even fully gotten walking down in these heels." She admitted only for Satsujin to smirk at her before she lowered her face as some of her hair fell into her face.

Satsujin reached forward catching one of the locks of hair and tucking it back behind Ametsuki's ear as that small gesture drew her attention back to him. "We will go slow, like we used to." He said as Ametsuki blushed ever so slightly at the memory due to how now she fully remembered those times. Of her as a small child standing on his boots while he would dance with her. "Trust me." He whispered as he took her hand in his and put his other at her waist as she mirrored him but he corrected her and she moved her left hand so it was resting near his elbow. "Alright now follow my lead." He said as he waited for the down beat before he started to lead Ametsuki through a simple waltz.

It wasn't more than ten steps in that Ametsuki tripped over the hem of her dress but Satsujin stopped and pulled her close so that she fell against his chest instead of to the ground. Though at feeling his heart beat as she lay against his chest, she looked up at him her cerulean eyes went crimson due to how she had not been feeding properly due to her being so preoccupied by things. When she went to bite him Satsujin stopped her.

"Once we finish this lesson." He said in a stern but caring voice, a tone Ametsuki thought was something like what a father would use. Though she was a bit upset that he turned down letting her feed, she understood and nodded as the two of them continued with the lesson. Though after five minutes of going slow Satsujin had thought she was ready to pick up the pace since she had been keeping in step fairly well doing it slow. He did not realize how wrong he was until it was too late.

Ametsuki stepped forward too soon and ended up stepping on his foot as he ended up pulling away from her and hopping on one foot for a second due to how he was not wearing his strong boots but his casual ones. Though while he was hopping up and down on one foot rubbing his injured one Ametsuki kept saying sorry before he calmed and they started again as he cautioned her to not get a head of herself.

Over to the side, Ichiru walked over closer to where Shizuka was sitting as he leaned down near her ear as he spoke in a quiet tone to her. "Do you really think she will be ready to attend the soiree in time?" Ichiru asked as he could tell that Ametsuki was struggling. "Because the soiree is only a week away and she has a hard time with the balance and even with a simple waltz." Ichiru said only for Shizuka to shake her head at him.

"She will be ready. I know my niece is beyond determined to be ready for this because of how it is in truth a chance for her to see the son of Aidou again after a year." Shizuka said in a disapproving tone.

"You do not approve of him because of what happened?" Ichiru asked cautiously.

"It is not that, but rather that I do not want to see my niece hurt." She said as at that moment Ametsuki accidentally kicked Satsujin in the ankle. "Then again it seems she knows how to keep men from getting to close to her." Shizuka said in a light tone as she stood and headed over toward the pair while Ichiru took the hint. That the lesson was over for now so he stopped the player as he moved it back to the side of the room as he then remained where he was waiting to be told what to do next.

/

About an hour later Satsujin stood with Ametsuki in her room as she stood on her tip toes only to sink her fangs into his neck and drink. He felt a sense of pleasure at feeling her fangs pierce him, something that Shizuka had once explained was normal for any vampire that was not a pureblood to feel when a pureblood sank their fangs in. Shortly after drinking a little Ametsuki withdrew her fangs and then kissed near where she had bitten Satsujin healing the bite marks quicker even though he had accelerated healing as a vampire.

"You are getting better at it." He said in a gentle tone only for Ametsuki to turn her back to him. "But you are not satisfied with just mine or your aunts' blood, are you?" Satsujin asked as Ametsuki shook her head to show that she was not.

"No, I long for Hanabusa's but I know that I can never feed from him again even though without his blood I feel like I could go insane any minute." She said only for Satsujin to wrap his arms around her from behind. "I do not understand why it does not fully satisfy me to drink your blood or Aunt Shizuka's when it is more than enough for Yuki and Zero to feed on one another." Ametsuki said in frustration. "I have accepted that Hanabusa and I cannot be together at the moment so why won't my heart accept it!" she cried as Satsujin held her tighter.

"It is because your heart beats for him." Satsujin said as Ametsuki shifted and buried her face against the front of his chest. "It is because you love him and he loves you." Satsujin said as he knew that when he took her to the soiree as her escort in the next week that he would if need be personally arrange for Ametsuki and Hanabusa to have time alone.

/

Yuki was going through the same lessons as Ametsuki but she was mainly doing them in private with Zero, more so since something had been on his mind but he seemed different since the night before. When she had tried to ask him he had said it was nothing, and even when she asked how him checking on Ametsuki went he said that he did not and asked her to drop the subject. Which to Yuki screamed that something was going on, but she was not sure what it was. So as dawn was approaching, Yuki sat with Zero on their bed as she was feeding from him by biting his neck and feeding on his blood. She no longer sensed any resistance or even hatred toward her for what she was because she had found he had come to terms with what both of them were. Though while drinking she came across a memory as she delved more into it.

_A few hours later Zero excused himself from being with Yuki as he headed toward Ametsuki's room due to how he knew that after the bit in the library Shizuka had let Ametsuki drink some of her blood and then sent the distraught princess to bed. However as he neared the door he felt an uneasy feeling before he heard a cold voice._

"_What are you doing here, Zero?" the voice of the woman who was still his master as a vampire, Shizuka asked as she stepped closer so that Zero could see her._

"_I was wishing to check on Ametsuki because Yuki said she was upset." Zero said which was the truth but he was also wishing to find out what it was that Shizuka was hiding from Ametsuki due to how he had a feeling that it was the key to finding out why Shizuka would not let her niece be with the vampire that she loved._

"_No need to be concerned." Shizuka said as she stepped closer giving Zero a cold look. "Go back to bed, but first, tell me the real reason you are here." She said in an order since she knew because Zero had never been permitted to drink the blood of her niece or feel Ametsuki's fangs pierce him that there was no possible way for him to resist an order from her._

_Zero's violet eyes went slightly hollow as he lowered his eyes ever so slightly before he spoke. "I was wishing to find out more into why you will not let her be with Aidou because it is obvious that she is in love with him and him with her. So it makes no sense that you would say over and over that you wish for nothing more than her happiness only to not allow the one thing that would grant her lasting happiness." He said unable to help himself, something that still made him despise Shizuka._

_Though at hearing the reason that he was outside of her niece's room, Shizuka's pink eyes narrowed into a harsh glare. "You are not to pursue this any further!" Shizuka said in a low almost threatening tone. "This does not concern you so just keep to yourself and never mention this suspicion again, especially not to Ametsuki!" Shizuka finished with a firm order, something that left Zero unable to do anything besides nod in understanding that he would do as she said. "Now go back to your and Yuki's room." Shizuka said as Zero turned and heading back in the direction that he had come from._

Yuki stopped feeding as she leaned back only for Zero to turn his violet hues on her as he was giving her a questioning look. "What is wrong, Yuki?" he asked since he was still bound by Shizuka's order to let the matter that he suspected drop.

"I…I just saw your memory of last night with Shizuka stopping you before you could check on Ametsuki." Yuki admitted as she saw in his eyes that he knew what she was talking about, but that he was not able to say anything about it due to the order from the one who was his master.

Though after a moment, Zero reached out and lightly brushed Yuki's cheek with his fingertips. "Yuki, we should not pursue this because things will fall into place soon." He said as Yuki gave him a surprised look due to how the night before he had been ready to pursue it until he got answers. "Trust me." He said with pleading eyes since he was still under Shizuka's order. "Until find a way around this." He said showing that was all that was holding him.

Yuki gave Zero a sad look that was lined with worry because of how she knew it was upsetting to Zero for how he was still bound to Shizuka in such a way, but Yuki could not help but think at least Shizuka had not done anything to punish Zero for having become close to Yuki. Though after a moment she nodded at him. "That or even if we find a way around it, I am sure Shizuka has something planned or that she has her reasons for not wanting anyone to delve more into this." She admitted though at the same time she could not help but wonder just what was going on.

"We will figure it out more, that or things will be revealed in time." Zero said as he moved closer to Yuki and wrapped his arms around her and leaned down nuzzling her neck as he felt her shiver ever so slightly. "Even after this long you still react in the most interesting ways." He whispered to her before falling back onto the bed, gently pulling Yuki along with him as faint light could be seen filtering through the curtains. "Just focus on being yourself and getting ready for the soiree next week." Zero whispered as he shifted holding Yuki to him as the two slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

/

Hanabusa stood before the balcony window in his room as he had his right hand raised lightly holding back the curtains looking toward the approaching sunrise. 'One more week…' he thought to himself as the first rays of sunlight began to color the sky a vast array of colors.

**A/N:** Well there is the second chapter of the story. This chapter was fairly difficult to get together since I had thought I was going to have it go up to the soiree but decided against it half way through the chapter. Though the next chapter will be the soiree.


	4. Chapter Three: Soiree

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Three: Soiree**

One week later found Ametsuki standing in her room a few hours before dusk. She stood before a six foot tall mirror looking at her reflection in shock. All due to how she was wearing a light blue dress that her aunt said matched her eyes. The dress was actually near the color of ice on water with being a very pale blue where it hugged her figure around her chest and down her slender stomach to her small waist where it seemed to flutter down to the floor where the hem seemed to near dance with her movements any time she so much as moved. A small amount of material went up over her shoulders and down to her back where the fabric linked to help keep the dress up. And on her small pale feet were heels that matched the dress so that when they peeked out it seemed that they blended right into the fabric. She knew that Yuki would be wearing a light pink version of the same dress. But as Ametsuki stood there Satsujin came into the room as he smiled at her while she shyly smiled back at him.

"You look every bit of the princess you were born to be." Satsujin said as he walked forward after closing the door. Though once he was close to her he bowed ever so slightly before straightening. "Though we need to figure out something for your hair since we cannot have it falling in your face all evening." He said as he gently took her hand and led her over to her dresser with a mirror as he held her hand as she sat down only to step behind her after grabbing the brush sitting on the small dresser as he started to brush her long white hair that easily reached her waist.

"Do you think he will really be there?" Ametsuki asked as Satsujin smiled and nodded.

"Yes he will be." He assured Ametsuki as while he was brushing her hair she took note of how he was wearing a black suit, something she thought looked very befitting him. When he noticed her looking at his reflection he allowed a faint smirk on his lips. "I will be your escort so Shizuka said I needed to wear something besides my usual attire." He said with a laugh.

"I think you look nice dressed like that." Ametsuki admitted as Satsujin continued to gently brush through her long hair before doing twin braids on the side and then pulling them back and using a ribbon that matched her dress to tie the braids together behind her head.

"Thank you, but I do feel silly since I have never been one to dress so formally." Satsujin admitted with a laugh in his voice before he stepped beside her and offered his hand to her to help her to her feet before he helped to lead her from the room, all the while letting her use his arm to help support herself since she was still a little shaky when walking while wearing the heels.

About five minutes later they were at the vast entry where Shizuka was standing waiting as she could not help but smile at the sight of her niece since to her she looked almost the mirror image of her late younger sister with her gentle expression. Though she knew the eyes were Kiyoshi's, but not as firm as his. She walked over as Satsujin removed his arm from Ametsuki's hand allowing Shizuka to pull her niece into a gentle hug. After a brief hug she leaned back letting her hands rest on Ametsuki's arms as she was still smiling. "If you are not ready, there is no pressure if you decide not to go." Shizuka said but Ametsuki shook her head.

"I want to go." Ametsuki said in a determined tone only for Shizuka to give her a bit of a sad smile since she knew members from the Senate would be at this soiree which she hoped did not end badly. "And I'll have Satsujin with me and I know he is more than capable of protecting me and if need be I am better at controlling water and ice than I was before." She said trying to reassure her worrying aunt that everything would be alright.

"Then I am trusting him to make sure you come back perfectly safe!" Shizuka said as she looked toward Satsujin with a look conveying what she had just said along with that she did not want Ametsuki left alone or out of his sight at any point. "Well." She said as she lowered her hands from her nieces' arms. "You better get going, Ichiru got a car so that he can transport you, Yuki, Satsujin and Zero to the soiree for me." Shizuka said since she was going to stay behind alone for the evening.

"Okay, we will be back around dawn." Ametsuki said as she smiled at her aunt before putting her hand back on Satsujin's offered arm to help keep her from falling as she walked alongside him toward the car as Satsujin moved away from her to open the door to reveal a vast back seat with two seats facing one another as he helped her get in as she saw that Yuki and Zero were sitting with their backs to where Ichiru was in the driver's seat. Though before she could say anything, Satsujin got in behind her and told Ichiru that they were ready as the car started to pull away from the estate. Ametsuki turned slightly in her seat to look back to see that her aunt was standing just outside of the door watching as they pulled away, that is until they drove through the gate and Shizuka was lost from sight as they turned the corner.

/

Hanabusa stood straightening a tie that he was wearing, but it did not help that he felt beyond nervous at the thought of getting to see the girl he had fallen in love with. 'I wonder if she remembers…' he thought to himself since there had not been any word from her since the two of them had parted ways. 'I just hope we will be able to talk in private so that we can catch up.' He thought full of hope before he heard a knock at the door. "Yes?" he called only for the door to open to reveal his younger sister, Tsukiko.

Her blonde hair was drawn back into a simple twisted bun with a few stray locks of hair falling down almost to her shoulders as she was wearing a strapless lavender dress that showed her figure. As her blue eyes that matched her brothers found him she stepped inside without invitation as she shut the door behind her. "Hana, father sent me to remind you of a few things for tonight." She said using the nickname she and her sisters had given Hanabusa when they had been kids. When he said nothing she continued. "He said that you are to remember to behave accordingly due to your previous history with Lady Ametsuki." She said only for Hanabusa to give his younger sister an annoyed look.

"I will behave accordingly, but I cannot help my previous relation with her no more than I can help being father's son!" Hanabusa said in frustration as he clenched his fists before resting them on the wall before him.

Tsukiko gave her older brother a sad look as she walked over, her lavender heels barely making a single sound on the floor as she approached Hanabusa. "You know that it can never be so just avoid her tonight!" Tsukiko said before she glanced over to her brother's bed to see that it was as it had been for the last year. Littered with various large volumes of books. "Just look at what this is doing to you!" She said going over to the bed and picking up one of the books. "Why don't you just forget about her? It would release you from this pain, Hana!" she said since it was beyond upsetting to see her brother suffering like this.

"I can't!" Hanabusa ground out. "I cannot simply forget the one that I love!" he said in a low tone as he looked back toward his sister. "I am going to find a way to make it so that she and I can be together again like we were before." He said only for Tsukiko to drop the book back on his bed.

"It will never be, so you are better off moving on and forgetting about her." Tsukiko said as she walked over to her brother. "That and father thinks he has found a nice young girl for you to be with-"

Hanabusa had heard enough as he rounded on his sister. "Out!" he snapped only to grab his sister by the arm and drag her back toward his door. "I will not be with someone who is not the one I love, so go and tell father that!" he said in frustration as he forced the door open only to push his sister out into the hall and before she could turn he spoke again. "And tell father I will be down for the soiree in a moment." Before he shut the door.

/

Nagamichi Aidou stood before one of the windows that over looked the arriving cars. He knew within one of them was the pureblood princess who had stolen the heart of his son and heir and it was slowly pushing his son into madness. 'Why did you have to fall for one from that line?' he thought to himself since the Hio family was thought to be cursed that any with the blood would go insane, much like Lady Shizuka had when she had slaughtered Kiryu family. Though he was taken from those thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." he said as he turned and fixed his blue eyes on the door as his daughter, Tsukiko came in. "Did you speak to your brother?" Nagamichi asked as he walked over to his daughter.

"I did, but he said he is still determined to find a way for him to be with Lady Ametsuki, and when I so much as mentioned him forgetting about her, he became worked up and even forced me to leave his room." Tsukiko said in a worried tone.

Nagamichi hated the thought of what his son's love for the princess was doing to his mind. So out of desperation to snap his son out of the obvious control that the girl had over Hanabusa, he had gone and invited the one who was to be with Lady Ametsuki in marriage. Sure it was going to be harsh, but he was only acting out of his wish to save his son. Though when he felt his daughter giving him a worried look Nagamichi shook his head and put on a smile for Tsukiko. "Do not worry, this will work itself out by the end of the night." He said. "Now go on downstairs and I will be down shortly to help with greeting our guests." He said as Tsukiko nodded and headed for the door, leaving her father alone.

/

"You nervous about the soiree?" Yuki asked as she looked at Ametsuki who had started to fidget a bit with the material of her dress that was resting on her legs near her knees.

"A little, mainly because of who will be there." She admitted only to hear a sigh that held a faint hint of annoyance. Something that drew her attention to Zero to see that he was sitting comfortably beside Yuki wearing a black tux that matched Satsujin's. His violet eyes were closed for a moment before he opened them and looked toward the nervous Ametsuki.

"Do not be. Sure it has been a year but that is no reason to think that anything might go wrong because I am sure that he is just as excited if not a hint of nervous at seeing you again since you are no longer the same girl he knew." Zero said only for Yuki to nudge him in the side. "What?" he asked giving Yuki an indignant look for how hard she had nudged him. "I am just saying the truth." Zero said only for him to hear a faint laugh from across from him. He and Yuki looked at the same time to see Satsujin even giving the source of the laugh a surprised look. All due to how it had been Ametsuki.

She had brought up her pale right hand as her cerulean eyes were closed as she had laughed a pure innocent laugh. One that actually seemed that her heart was in. Though she did not notice how everyone in the car, even Ichiru, smiled ever so slightly at hearing her pure laughter once again, for what seemed like the first time in the last year. After a few seconds she calmed as she opened her eyes wiping tears from her eyes as she was careful not to mess up the make-up she was wearing. "Sorry." She said only for Yuki to shake her head and smile reassuringly at her friend.

"No need to apologize for laughing." Yuki said with a smile as she was just happy to see actual happiness in her friend's eyes once again. "You should always feel free to smile and laugh." Yuki said only for Ichiru to speak from the front seat.

"We are pulling up to the front of the Aidou villa now." He said as he glanced in the rear view mirror only to see what he had hoped he would not. The carefree happiness that he had seen on Ametsuki's face before was gone as she looked anxious once again. Though the entire car was silent as they pulled up to the villa only to see that numerous other cars were already there as they soon came to a stop. Zero was the first to move to get out as he opened the door, got out and then turned offering his hand to Yuki to help her out as the two of them stepped back away from the car to allow Satsujin out. Though before Ametsuki could start to follow him, Ichiru spoke. "Ametsuki?" he asked as he turned in his seat to look back at her as his silver hair was grown out a little bit more so that the longest bits in the front fell in his violet eyes.

Ametsuki hesitated and looked toward Ichiru. "Yes?" she asked as she felt happy that in the last year he had held to his promises to her.

"I just want you to remember to never lose your smile, no matter what happens tonight. Remember that some here may seek to harm you with things that they say, but just remember that you are above them. That no one can tear you down." He said as Ametsuki smiled at him.

"I will." She promised as she then got out of the car after taking Satsujin's hand to be sure she got out as gracefully as possible before walking along side Satsujin toward the large open doors along with Zero and Yuki. As they walked it was so that Satsujin and Zero were on the outsides while Yuki and Ametsuki were in the middle, which allowed the two a moment to whisper to one another.

"Do not let what anyone says bother you." Ametsuki reminded Yuki since she could tell that Yuki was starting to feel nervous about the soiree.

"Same goes to you." Yuki said with a smile as they were walking up the steps. "Be sure to find the one you want to see as soon as possible so you can be able to visit with him." Yuki said as they walked through the doors and the whispering came to a stop.

All due to how once they got through the door they found themselves in what appeared to be almost like a vast ballroom. Ametsuki glanced around for a brief second before she felt every pair of eyes in the room on Yuki and herself as she had to fight ever instinct she had that was screaming for her to turn and rush from the room due to how she hated having so many people stare at her. She ventured a sideways glance to see that she was not alone in this, that Yuki seemed to be just as nervous about having at least one hundred pairs of eyes on them.

Not far into the ball room, in the sea of eyes that were on the two young princess', stood Hanabusa. His blue eyes wide at the sight of the girl that he had seen in his dreams almost every night for the last year. She was even more regal in appearance than he remembered. Sure he had always seen her as a near untouchable beauty, but even that seemed to be a lacking way to see her due to how she was beyond radiant in his eyes. Though he was soon torn from his own observations of Ametsuki when his own father had stepped forward and began to speak, something that Hanabusa saw had drawn the attention of the two young princess' and their two escorts.

"Lady Yuki, Lady Ametsuki." Nagamichi said as he brought up his right hand and did a bow to the two young girls. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you." He said as he straightened, but in that brief second he had given a faint hard look to Ametsuki since it was her who was the very rift that was in his family. Though he soon shifted his expression to conceal his own disdain for the princess before him. "I am Nagamichi Aidou." He said introducing himself as everyone in the room was watching the exchange carefully.

Both Ametsuki and Yuki inclined their heads at the same time only to speak in unison. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Nagamichi Aidou. Thank you for the invitation to this soiree." They said in perfect unison.

Some in the crowd began to whisper as it seemed that everyone had noticed the two escorting the two young princess' were not of even noble standing in the vampire ranks. Something that Nagamichi addressed. "Though who are the two gentlemen with you?" he asked in a civil manner, but both Yuki and Ametsuki knew better than to think it was as it seemed.

"_Those in vampire society fear and despise purebloods by nature." Shizuka's voice rang in Ametsuki's mind. "So due to this, they act kind or pleasant to our faces, if you can even call it that. However they are actually seeing you as the ultimate prey due to how with a single word we can bind them to our will. So they get great joy in seeing us suffer which is why it is almost a law among purebloods that we never show any reaction and especially not our tears should they offend or upset us."_

So with that in mind both Ametsuki and Yuki were doing all they could to ignore the reactions of those in the crowd as Yuki spoke first. "The young man with me is Zero Kiryu." Yuki said in a confident tone though in the underline of her statement was that the two were lovers. The room seemed to erupt in murmurs before quieting after several minutes to allow Ametsuki to introduce her escort.

"And this is Satsujin Akira." She said with an elegant gesture to her father as the room once again exploded in a sea of murmurs due to how the name she had said was well known. The cold blooded killer, yet here he was, obviously now a vampire, and with the young princess of the Hoshioko family on his arm, she turned a blind eye to all of the murmurs but one that caught her attention.

"Proof of how far the two once great families have fallen."

Ametsuki removed her hand from Satsujin's as she walked with an odd grace toward the one who had spoken, none other than Asato Ichijou, or Ichiou. He easily towered over the young princess standing before him, but height did not matter due to the imposing atmosphere around Ametsuki. "Need I remind you, Asato." She said his first name drawing shocked and even disapproving looks from those close by. "That your standing in society does not grant you to verbally degrade any of the pure blood familys." She said in a low tone that rivaled that of her aunt when Shizuka got angry about anything.

Ichiou gave the young princess before him a surprised look only for him to slowly speak. "I will keep that in mind, Lady Ametsuki." He said bowing as several people were surprised by how he so easily bent to the will of a child, but only a handful outside of the senate knew the full extent or suspected the extent of what Ametsuki could do.

Though before anymore could be said, Nagamichi cleared his throat as he walked over closer. "Please, no further discussion of arguments. Everyone is here to celebrate our two young princess'. Now everyone please enjoy yourselves." He said a small orchestra started playing music to the side of the ball floor as everyone dispersed only for Satsujin to make his way over to Ametsuki with Yuki and Zero behind him.

"You should not have given into what he said, you know Shizuka did warn you about the harshness of others especially the Senate." Satsujin said in a low tone as Ametsuki nodded as she closed her eyes to regain her composure.

"If she had not said something, I would have!" Yuki said in a low tone only for Ametsuki to look toward her with a weak smile that did not reach her cerulean eyes.

"All the same, it is said and done and they have seen a glimpse of Ametsuki demonstrating a fraction of her power and influence." Zero said before looking to Satsujin. "Go take care of what you were needing to, I will protect these two." He said as Ametsuki and Yuki gave their two escorts questioning looks, but before either of them could voice their questions, Satsujin bowed to them and disappeared into the crowd. For the next fifteen minutes Ametsuki remained with Yuki and Zero until a girl who resembled Hanabusa approached Ametsuki and she fell behind Yuki and Zero without the two noticing.

The girl with blonde hair and blue eyes did a curtsy to Ametsuki who smiled slightly and nodded her head at the girl. "Lady Ametsuki?" the girl asked in a kind tone as Ametsuki nodded again showing for the girl to continue. "May I speak to you in private?" the girl asked as Ametsuki gave her a questioning look.

"First can you tell me your name?" Ametsuki asked since she figured she would ask rather than use the power that her aunt said that she possessed as a pureblood.

"Of course, my lady." The girl said as she straightened. "My name is Tsukiko." She said as Ametsuki gave her a faint smile though she caught the hint of something behind this girl's intention to speak to her. "If you would follow me, I know of a place where we may speak in private." Tsukiko said as she turned and started to walk away while Ametsuki followed her from the ballroom into a dark hall and down a long hallway to a large door that led to a small room. Ametsuki stood back as Tsukiko opened the door and gestured for Ametsuki to go in only to follow and close the door.

Ametsuki glanced around the room once the light was turned on to see that it was a plain room with nothing on the walls or any furniture for that matter, just a bare room. Though she decided to get right to the point. "You said you wished to talk in private, so what is it that you wished to discuss, Tsukiko?" Ametsuki asked in a calm tone.

Tsukiko gave Ametsuki a disapproving look as she was standing by the door. "It is more that I want to ask you to do something for me." She said knowing she had to tread carefully more so after the confrontation with Ichiou just a short while before.

"And what would that be?" Ametsuki asked since she figured she was better not agreeing or saying she would not do the request since she did not know what it was. However she was being very cautious about the girl standing before her.

"I want you to free my older brother from your control!" Tsukiko said in near desperation. "I don't know what sort of power you have over him, but I want him back!" Tsukiko said in a worked up tone only for Ametsuki to give her a confused look, something that only seemed to annoy Tsukiko. "Do not give me that look! It is because of you that my brother is slowly losing his grip on sanity!" Tsukiko cried as Ametsuki stepped toward her while Tsukiko had her eyes closed and her head lowered.

"You are Hanabusa's sister?" Ametsuki asked taking a guess at the relation from how Tsukiko was acting. Something that was confirmed when Tsukiko looked up with tears in her eyes as she nodded at Ametsuki who now stood only a short distance from the crying vampire. "I am sorry that this has caused you nothing but grief, but I feel I must tell you that I do not have any control over your brother. I have never once forced him to do anything that he did not want to do deep down within his own heart of his own free will." Ametsuki said which was true due to how while feeding from Hanabusa a year before she had always noticed that he had longed to be able to feed on her in turn.

"You are lying!" Tsukiko cried out quietly.

Ametsuki sighed as she hated seeing someone so close to the one she loved hurting in such a way, but she would not stand for being called a liar. "Tsukiko." Ametsuki said in a firm tone as Tsukiko looked toward Ametsuki in pure disgust. "I know that you like many others detest myself and any other purebloods because we are known to toy with the emotions and even the minds of those not of the same station as us." She paused to see that she had been right, Tsukiko did detest her and other purebloods for that reason. "However, for me to say anything to your brother would be for me to do the very thing that you hate me for, and I will not do it. He is his own person and I do not wish to ever deprive him of that." Ametsuki said before she walked toward the door only to open it and go to step out but she stopped in the doorway as she spoke without looking back at Tsukiko. "I want you to think on something. Would Hanabusa be happier knowing that you think he is not acting of his own free will?" Ametsuki asked before she turned and walked down the hall only for the door behind her to close with a soft click.

/

Though while Ametsuki was walking away, Tsukiko stood in the room thinking over what had been said to her. 'How could he be acting of his own free will when he is no longer the same Hana?' she thought to herself before she shook her head clenching her fists at her sides. 'No! That bitch was lying!' Tsukiko thought in pure frustration.

/

Yuki and Zero were trying to stay calm due to how one second Ametsuki had been with them only for them to look after a second to find that she was gone. They knew they could not simply ask if anyone had seen where she had gone, so they were navigating through the crowd stopping only when someone wished to speak to Yuki. It was during one of the conversations that Ametsuki walked back up leading to Yuki excusing herself from the conversation as she and Zero walking with Ametsuki to the side of the room.

"Where were you?" Zero asked once they were to the side of the room not where anyone could easily overhear.

"Hanabusa's sister wished to talk to me. Leave it at that." Ametsuki said in a tone that hinted to both Zero and Yuki that it had not been a pleasant conversation in the least. Though just as Zero had been about to speak again, Satsujin seemed to appear beside Zero.

"Ametsuki, I need you to come with me." He said as he flashed a smile to Zero and Yuki, something that Ametsuki noticed but she stepped closer to him as he spoke to Yuki and Zero. "Just keep visiting with those here, maybe get a dance or two but I will come to get the two of you when we are ready to leave." He said in a low tone before offering his arm to Ametsuki who placed her hand on his arm before walking off down another hall with him.

Once they were no longer where anyone could hear what they were saying, Ametsuki looked to Satsujin with a questioning look in her cerulean eyes. "Where are we going?" she asked only for Satsujin to smile at her.

"Close your eyes, this is to be a surprise." He said as he stopped in front of a deep colored door. With one last skeptical glance at Satsujin she closed her eyes only to hear him open the door before gently leading her into the room. "No peeking." He whispered to her as he stopped and gently got her to let go of his arm before stepping back before it was quiet.

"Satsujin why not?" she asked before she felt something on her cheek as she froze as the feeling she had was familiar, but something she had only felt in her dreams for the last year. She did not dare open her eyes out of fear that the feeling would be found to be nothing but an illusion. She felt her heart skip a beat at the same time she felt her face begin to take a faint red tint to it. Before she could even utter what she was thinking soft lips met her own as a pair of arms encircled her and pulled her closer into a solid body. 'I have missed this…' she thought as she brought up her arms finding the shoulders of the figure after tracing her hands up their chest and then moving her hands over to rest behind the other's neck as she returned the kiss gentle at first, then steadily more passionate. She became so focused on the person before her that she did not even notice when Satsujin exited the room.

After several moments, which only felt like seconds to the pair, they broke their passionate kiss but remained close as Ametsuki slowly opened her cerulean eyes to look up into the electric blue eyes of Hanabusa. They stood there in one anothers arms just enjoying feeling one another's arms around them once again, though Ametsuki soon spoke in a gentle whisper. "I have missed you." She whispered only for Hanabusa to lean down and rest his forehead against hers with a smile on his face.

"I have missed you as well." He whispered as the look in his eyes spoke the full truth. He had longed to feel her in his arms once again, to feel her soft lips against his. As he looked at her he could see that she had matured a lot in the last year, but to him she would always be his Ame. They remained there for a few moments only for Ametsuki to whisper her one true wish to Hanabusa.

"I wish we could stay like this and not have to ever again worry about the concerns or laws of vampires that keep us a part." She whispered only for Hanabusa to shift and plant a gentle kiss on her head.

"We will be able to, but for now, let's not tarnish this happy moment." He whispered as he shifted soon positioning both of them so that they were ready to waltz, only to earn a worried look from Ametsuki. "If it would not be too forward, may I have at least one dance with you before our night ends?" Hanabusa asked as he remained where he was holding Ametsuki as a faint tint came to her face once again as she nodded bringing a smile to his face.

Slowly he started to step in a traditional waltz, even though no notes from the orchestra in the ball room could be heard, he did not care. He felt that their feelings for one another would have drowned out any notes as they danced together. Their eyes remained locked as he felt like he would soon drown in her beautiful cerulean eyes that held nothing but love for him. He wished he could freeze time outside of this room so that they could continue in this waltz for eternity.

/

Satsujin stood guard outside the room for a good hour as he could faintly hear sounds inside as he knew that the young couple were spending what little time they could with one another before the outside world forced them a part once again. 'I hope one day that things will change so that they may once again be able to be together.' He thought to himself before he realized the time. He glanced to the door figuring it would be alright since no one had come by in the last hour, so surely it would be alright for him to slip away to get Yuki and Zero before letting Ametsuki know that it was time to leave. He headed down the hall not realizing that a pair of steel colored eyes were watching from the shadows.

/

Earlier in the party, Kal had stood along with is younger sister who had branched away to go and mingle with those gathered since it had been so long since their last soiree. Though there was one that had his full attention, the pale beauty who had twice now disappeared from the ball room without a trace. The first time with the daughter of the Aidou family and then the second with the man that had been her escort.

When he heard the clock chime indicating that it had been near an hour since he had seen Ametsuki make an appearance he looked to see that his sister was dancing with the grandson of Ichiou, so she would be in good hands for the moment. He slipped away down the hall where he had seen the one identified as the infamous hunter, Satsujin Akira, had gone to with his fiancé. It only took a few moments before he found where they had disappeared to due to how Satsujin was standing guard outside of a room, so Kal had hid in the shadows watching, waiting.

He only had to wait about fifteen minutes before he saw Satsujin leave his post. 'Such a foolish pathetic excuse for a servant.' Kal thought to himself as he slipped from the shadows toward the door without making a single sound. For a few seconds he stood by the door listening to the soft sound from inside the room as a smirk formed on his face as he pushed the door open and stood there in the doorway looking toward the son of the Aidou family holding the princess that was his, at least until the two noticed his presence and quickly backed from one another, bringing an even wider smirk to Kal's face.

"Can we help you?" Ametsuki asked as she gave Kal a questioning look since he looked vaguely familiar but she could not place it.

However Kal merely smirked at Ametsuki only to speak a moment later. "You, no." he said in a smooth almost silk voice before turning cold steel eyes to Hanabusa. "But you on the other hand, son of Aidou. You are to stay away from my fiancé."

**A/N:** Sorry for cutting it off here, but it seemed like a good place to cut off the chapter with Kal breaking up the moment between Ametsuki and Hanabusa. I want to once again thank Myra K Kuran for her reviews and her feedback on the story thus far. The next chapter should be up soon, by early or mid next week depending on how much time I get to work on it.


	5. Chapter Four: Tears of the Heart

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Four: Tears of the Heart**

Kal sat before the fire burning in the sitting room hearth as he was beyond pleased with how things had gone at the soiree once he had interrupted the moment with his fiancé and the one that she seemed to have feelings for. 'Does not matter if your heart is with another, you are to be mine and nothing can change that, Princess Ametsuki.' Kal thought as he sipped at what appeared to be wine but was a mix with the blood tablets since he did not much feel like feeding the traditional way but instead he felt like just doing the substitute. Or was it because now the blood he wanted was out of his reach, back in the care of lowly vampires and a disgraced former princess?

'Even so, you will be mine in time even if I have to force you to be by my side. Because the one who you claim to love is not suited to do more than clean the floor that you walk on.' Kal thought as he held the wine glass in his hand for a moment before throwing it into the fireplace as the glass shattered only for the pseudo blood to turn the flames red for a brief second before they returned to normal. "Just a little while longer." He whispered to himself as he reached up pushing some of his black hair out of his steel eyes.

/

Kaname had heard what had happened at the soiree and found it to be beyond amusing that it seemed that even Kal would have a hard time with their bet at this point since the one who was to be his was in love with another. 'Seems like this bet is already set to be my victory.' Kaname thought idly as he walked down the long hallway to the door of a certain someone that he was wishing to visit with. Once he stood before the door he brought up his hand and lightly knocked on the door only to hear the innocent voice of Amami behind it saying for him to enter. So without any hesitation, Kaname reached out and turned the knob before opening the door to see Amami was dressed in a pink dress at the moment, something that seemed to only intensify how innocent and naïve this girl was.

"I thought you would be visiting with Kal." Amami said as Kaname shook his head only to close the door softly behind himself as a small click was heard due to him locking the door behind himself. "Is something wrong?" Amami asked as she noticed the look on Kaname's face, he was craving blood and that meant he was either ignoring his hunger or he meant to feed on her! At that thought a crimson tint found its way to her cheeks as she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Do I make you nervous, Amami?" Kaname asked as he soon stood before the young girl who was looking up at him with wide steel eyes, something that led to him seeing Yuki as she had been one year ago. The Yuki who would have done anything for him, but with that thought the memory of what had happened flashed through his mind.

_Kaname had found Yuki as she was heading to the girls dorm to get her things, he had been listening from the shadows outside of the room where Yuki and Zero had been speaking to the headmaster. 'I will not let her leave my side!' Kaname thought as he got to Yuki as she was almost to the dorm only to move fast going before her blocking her access to the dorm. "I need you to come with me Yuki." Kaname said holding out his hand to her as she hesitated. "Do you not trust me?" he asked in a hurt tone only for Yuki to back a step away from him as he knew that the only way to keep her was to break the spell on her that had her in her current state of being a human._

"_I do not after what you did to Aidou when he has supported you for so long!" She said as her hand went for the Artemis rod she kept strapped to her leg, but she was not fast enough._

_Kaname looked at her with narrowed crimson glowing eyes as he moved over and grabbed both of Yuki's wrists and held them firmly between the two of them only for Yuki to struggle trying to force him away. "I will not lose you to someone like Kiryu." He said in a low tone only for Yuki to look at him in confusion and fear. "You thought I did not know what you were doing? That you were committing the greatest taboo by allowing that Level E to feed on you." Kaname said in a cold voice._

"_I…it was my decision to make and it has nothing to do with you!" Yuki declared as she tried once again to pull back away from Kaname but he held her so that she could not get away._

"_Actually, it was never your choice to make, Yuki." Kaname said as Yuki stopped struggling looking at Kaname with fear in her wide brown eyes. "And you doing so, has sealed his fate because now he will be hunted down for having broken the law of vampires." Kaname said as he leaned down closer to Yuki as he moved her hands so that he was holding both in one hand._

"_How did he break any law? He was feeding from a human something that is not against the law but the nature of vampires." Yuki said as she tried to move back only for Kaname to place his free hand behind her head and hold her there._

"_You will understand when you wake." Was all Kaname said before he put Yuki to sleep as she slumped forward only for him to catch her and release her hands only to move her up into his arms as he was cradling her bridal style as he glanced around being sure no one else was around. 'Once this is done you will have no choice but to stay by my side.' He thought looking down at Yuki as he vanished from before the dorm._

_Seconds later he was before the main building of the school as he looked to Yuki before walking into the trees figuring that at least they would allow a little privacy while he did what he planned to. He knew that him biting her would wake her from his sleep spell on her and also turn her back, something he felt was necessary. So without any hesitation he knelt down and shifted Yuki so that her thin neck was exposed. 'I have longed for this for so long…' Kaname thought to himself as he opened his mouth only for his fangs to become more pronounced before he brought them down and sank them deep into Yuki's neck. 'You will be mine!' Kaname thought as he felt Yuki start to stir in his arms as he moved his hand up and easily silenced her forthcoming protest. _

_Once he was sure that part was complete that she was beginning to change, he withdrew his fangs and looked down at her as she seemed to be asleep once more but he knew it was the shock of being changed. Something that brought a smirk to Kaname's lips as he brought up his wrist and bit into it and drank the blood from his wrist but kept in his mouth. 'Now to finish it.' He thought as he leaned down and placed his lips against Yuki's. He stayed that way for a second before using his tongue to part her lips as he held her securely while forcing his blood into her through the kiss. She struggled against him but he paid no mind as soon he felt her do what he had wanted, she had swallowed the blood finishing her awakening._

_Kaname leaned back as he could hear someone approaching, knowing it was Zero who was sure to reject the reawakened Yuki. "You belong with me, and no one else." He whispered just as Zero came into view with a look of rage on his face._

"_Kaname!" Zero yelled as Kaname looked at him with an amused look on his face as though he had just done something beyond funny. "What did you do to-" Zero started but Yuki had pulled out the anti-vampire gun that Zero had given her when she had found out he was a vampire. What happened next shocked both Zero and Kaname._

"_You bastard!" Yuki yelled at Kaname as she fired at him as she managed to shoot him through his right shoulder before he fled after dropping Yuki from the shock of the shot he had received._

Amami gave Kaname a surprised look when his eyes had become distant and he had a faint pained look on his face. "Kaname?" Amami asked nervously after a second due to how he had seemed like he was wanting to feed from her only to hesitate and seem lost for a second. Though at first he did not respond as she reached up lightly touching the side of his face with her pale hand. "Kaname?" she asked as he seemed to jolt back to reality as she gave him a worried yet relieved smile.

Kaname felt himself return the smile as he shook his head a little after a brief second and looked away from the young girl. "I am sorry." He said as he turned away only for Amami to move forward and catch his hand as he looked back at her to see she was giving him a near pleading look. "I need to be alone." He said since in truth losing Yuki had hurt him a great deal since sure she was supposed to be his fiancé but he had done everything he could to keep her at his side ever since he had first seen her when Juri had given birth.

"But being alone obviously will not help you right now. Why not talk about what is wrong?" Amami asked as she kept a hold of Kaname's hand. "Even if not with me because compared to you I am a child, then at least go talk to my big brother." Amami said since she was not sure on what all was going on but she had a feeling that whatever it was, that it was a burden on Kaname's heart. Something she wished she could relieve him of, but that would only be possible if he would trust her enough to open up to her.

Though in her persistence, Kaname looked at Amami with a near lust in his eyes because she was becoming everything that he had thought he had once found in Yuki. At that thought he all but saw Amami as Yuki once again, or at least a suitable substitute for his hunger. "Amami…" he whispered as he stepped closer only to lean down wrapping his arms around her and lift her up holding her against his chest. "You are only a child to me in age, but not in your existence." He said in a whisper as he walked over to her bed only to put her down on it and then lean down over her. "But you do understand what that means, don't you?" he asked as his eyes took a crimson look as he looked down at Amami.

Amami nodded at Kaname as he spoke asking her if she knew what he had meant. Yes she did, all due to how in the past her brother had even fed on her due to how it was just the two of them and a few servants. "It means that my existence holds meaning for you through my blood." She whispered as Kaname leaned down only to whisper with his warm breath tickling at her ear.

"That is right." He said before moving down to her neck as he nuzzled it as he felt her pulse quicken, the sound of her heart beat drowning out all else as his body grew tense. "Your very presence is intoxicating." He whispered into her neck as he could feel her body beneath him respond due to her trembling. Though he found that he was not sure if she was trembling due to fear or pleasure as he found that he did not care. She had said she knew what he had meant, which to him meant she was alright with him going one step further. His lips slowly parted as his tongue came out as he slowly traced the tip of his tongue along her neck as she gasped from the subtle contact as he looked to her as his eyes took on a crimson glow once again.

Amami could not help the reaction of her body as she angled her head as she exposed her neck more to Kaname as she found this was something she longed for despite her still being a child in the eyes of her brother, she wanted nothing more than for Kaname to fulfil his desire for blood by using her. Though as she felt his tongue trace her neck once again another gasp found its way past her lips.

Something about that second gasp caused something to slightly snap in Kaname as he opened his mouth further revealing his fangs. All due to how the gasp had been one of pure pleasure from the girl beneath him on the bed and he found himself unable to hold back anymore as he leaned in closer. Though as his fangs slowly inched closer to her neck he felt a hint of hesitance before he allowed his fangs to slowly pierce her neck as he felt a shiver go through Amami as his lips soon followed his fangs to her neck as he began to feed from her. 'Her blood is sweet, full of innocence.' He thought to himself as he drank. 'But it is bland compared to Yuki's…' he thought with a hint of sadness but as the image of Yuki and Zero played before his eyes of them at the soiree together he felt himself start to accept that she was no longer his. 'Instead I will make Amami mine.' He thought as he continued to drink.

/

Ametsuki sat on her bed still fuming over what had happened a week before at the soiree with the appearance of her supposed fiancé. 'How could I be engaged when I never agreed to such a thing!' She thought in anger as she stood from her bed, the material of her knee length lavender dress moving with her as she stormed across her room to the glass door that led to the balcony as she opened the door and walked out to the balcony as the cold stone of the floor stung ever so slightly at her bare feet. 'I do not even know who that guy is but he talked as though he has known me for a long time…' she thought as she walked to the rail and leaned against it so her elbows and forearms were resting on the cool stone as she looked up at the sky with her cerulean eyes as her mind went back to the night of the soiree.

_Ametsuki had been enjoying the moment with Hanabusa since she had been longing ever since they had parted for him to hold her in his arms once again. She felt her hunger begin to persist making her crave his blood as she stopped their dance as she closed her eyes trying to force it away. It was not until she heard the concerned voice of the one she loved that she opened her eyes and looked up at him._

"_Ame?" Hanabusa whispered using the name she had once asked him to use, though she did not respond right away so he whispered her true name. "Ametsuki?" he asked as she opened her eyes and looked up at him with a pained expression. "You are craving, aren't you?" he asked in a worried tone as Ametsuki nodded._

"_Yes, I cannot help but crave your blood because you are the one that my heart longs for." She said as she looked away to the side. "I am nothing but a despicable being because it has been a year since we saw one another but I can barely contain my lust for your blood." She said in a sad tone only to feel Hanabusa rest his hand on the side of her face making her look back toward him._

"_You are not a despicable being." He said in a soft whisper as he leaned forward resting his forehead against hers while he looked into her eyes. "That is the nature of what both of us are as vampires." He whispered. "By drinking one another's blood we become closer, but due to the current situation, neither of us can do so." He said as Ametsuki knew what he meant. Just down the long hall there were hundreds of vampires that would notice the scent of blood from either of them and if they caught the scent of her blood then it would mean death for Hanabusa._

"_I just wish we could be together without the law of society keeping us a part." She whispered as she leaned closer only for her lips to meet Hanabusa's as it seemed she had surprised him for a brief second before he started to return the kiss. Gentle at first, almost shy, before they started to kiss with more passion before they broke it and stood there in one another's arms before either of them noticed that someone had entered the room. The second they did they moved away from one another trying to conceal the fact that the two were all but distant lovers. Though in that moment Ametsuki saw the one who had interrupted them smirk as she decided to speak._

"_Can we help you?" Ametsuki asked as she gave the new comer a questioning look since he looked vaguely familiar but she could not place it._

_However he merely smirked at Ametsuki only to speak a moment later. "You, no." he said in a smooth almost silk voice before turning cold steel eyes to Hanabusa. "But you on the other hand, son of Aidou. You are to stay away from my fiancé." _

"_What?!" Ametsuki and Hanabusa yelled at the same time only for the man to smirk more._

"_I am not engaged to anyone so if this is your idea of a sick joke you have gone too far!" Ametsuki said as she stepped forward only for the male to move so he was right before her. In that moment she noticed fully that he was not of the class of vampire that Hanabusa was so she could not intimidate him into backing down. He was a pureblood, same as her!_

"_Oh but you are and have been since the moment of your birth, my dear Ametsuki." The man said as he reached up lightly tracing his fingers along the side of her face only for Ametsuki's cerulean eyes to harden as she reached up smacking the other purebloods hand away as she backed away from him._

"_Never touch me again!" she growled as the man merely smirked at her in a way that made her skin crawl._

"_I will respect that wish, for now." The male said before looking to Hanabusa. "As for you, this is your only warning to never be around her again." He said as Hanabusa nodded but Ametsuki knew that he was doing it just to keep from revealing that he had free will around even purebloods due to how he had drank her blood after she had awakened. "Good, now leave us." The male said as Hanabusa glanced toward Ametsuki with an apologetic look only to do as he was told. "Oh, and close the door behind you." The male said as Hanabusa reluctantly did as he was told._

_Ametsuki did not like being shut in the room with this man because something about him reminded her of Yukiro, and that alone had her a bit on edge. Though she soon pushed that aside as she spoke in a firm tone. "Who are you and what makes you think that I am your fiancé?" she demanded as the male looked at her with his steel colored eyes as he chuckled._

"_I am Kal Kurei. The current head of the Kurei family." He said doing a bow at the waist to Ametsuki as he had his right hand up by his left shoulder before he straightened and continued. "And I do not think you are my fiancé, I know you are." He said as he eyed her. _

"_How?" Ametsuki asked clenching her fists at her sides._

"_Because you were promised to me when you were born as I said before." Kal said as he stepped closer to Ametsuki while she remained where she was so as to not make him think that she was afraid of him._

"_Surely my parents would not have approved of something like that!" she said as Kal stepped closer yet again._

"_Oh they were against it with every fiber of their being. But seeing as how there was one above them in your family, their opinion did not matter." Kal said as he stood before Ametsuki, easily towering over her since she only came up to his chest._

_Ametsuki had been about to say more but the door burst open as Satsujin, Yuki and Zero rushed in. Almost before Ametsuki could register that they had entered, Yuki had rushed to her side and was pulling her toward the door with Satsujin and Zero right behind them, something that made Ametsuki think that they were covering her and Yuki to insure that Kal did not try to approach either of them. Though they did not stop at the ballroom where everyone was looking on in confusion, as one face stood out from near one of the pillars, Hanabusa. She had wanted to go talk to him but Yuki kept pulling her along as within seconds they were out of the villa and piling back into the car only for Ichiru to speed off as fast as he could._

Ametsuki closed her cerulean eyes as she was feeling more and more frustrated at the mere thought of how that night had gone. First she had the confrontation with Ichiou and had been scolded by her aunt for how she had spoken to the older man. Though she had justified it by saying she could not just let him say those things about the Hoshioko and Kuran families. Granted Kaname had been nothing but a disgrace, but he had disappeared a year ago with no sign of where he had gone. But she had heard Satsujin talking with Ichiru and Zero telling them that the association was currently looking for Kaname since he was seen as a dangerous vampire that needed to be brought in.

Shaking her head sending her long white hair about her slightly as she was trying to just figure out more with the night of the soiree. More so due to how Hanabusa's sister, Tsukiko, had been beyond convinced that Ametsuki was just toying with Hanabusa when she was not. She wished that there were a way so that neither she nor Hanabusa would suffer because she had seen it in his eyes that night. He was lusting for her blood again.

'The downside for when anyone other than a pureblood drinks the blood of a pureblood. They long for the blood to the point if not sufficed before that person breaks, it will turn them into something worse than a Level E…' Ametsuki thought as she was worried that Hanabusa was coming to his limit after a year of being denied her blood due to how it was taboo to spill the blood of a pureblood. 'There has to be a way to allow him to drink my blood so that he will not hunger for it any longer…' she thought to herself as she leaned forward resting her forehead against her arms only to hear a soft knock as she leaned up and looked back to see that it was Ichiru. "Is something wrong?" she asked as Ichiru closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, Ametsuki." Ichiru said as he opened his eyes and walked over to her only to remove his coat and drape it on her small shoulders as she looked at him seeing that under his coat he had been wearing a form fitting grey t shirt with blue jeans and black boots with his sword strapped to his side along with a gun on the opposite hip.

"Aunt Shizuka sent you to check on me because I have not been out of my room in several days?" she asked as she straightened only to look at Ichiru again to see him nod.

"Yes, because she is worried about you after what happened at the soiree." He said as Ametsuki looked to the side. "And it is weighing heavy on you?" he asked in concern since he could tell just by the look on her face that she was upset but holding her tears in. "You know if you need to cry, I will never say anything if you use me as a shoulder to cry on." He said as he knew that she was strong willed like Shizuka, but Ametsuki was still very young and had not grown up learning to hide her emotions. Though he was not fully prepared for what happened next.

Ametsuki had given him a shocked look as she felt her emotions almost to the point of making her break on the inside, and here was someone who she viewed as a very close friend who would not judge or remind her that as a pureblood princess that she was not to show her tears. Without a second thought she moved closer at a fast pace as she buried her face against the material of Ichiru's shirt while his coat feel from her shoulders only to fall to the ground as she wrapped her arms around Ichiru. She held back for a few seconds making sure he was okay with her hugging him in such a way, something that was confirmed when his arms came up and wrapped around her as she let her tears fall as she silently cried.

The two of them stayed like that for several moments as Ichiru continued to hold Ametsuki close, even rubbing her back and whispering to her that it was alright, for her to let out her tears. Though when Ametsuki appeared to have calmed down, Ichiru shifted slightly as she also leaned back and looked up at him with a tear stained face. "Feel better?" Ichiru asked in a whisper as Ametsuki nodded reaching up to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes as Ichiru moved from her and left her be for a second while he picked up his coat again and gently placed it around her shoulders once again. "How about we get you back inside?" he asked as Ametsuki merely nodded and let him gently steer her back into her room.

"Ichiru?" Ametsuki asked in a timid tone as Ichiru closed the glass door behind them.

"Yes?" he asked but in a way that showed that she had his full attention at the moment.

"I was wondering, you and Zero still do not get along?" she asked as Ichiru froze and looked at her in shock. "I was wondering why not." She said as Ichiru shook his head as Ametsuki walked over and sat on the edge of her large bed.

"I guess it is because when we were little that I was frail and only Zero ever saw me as anything and how he was all but a protégé while I could barely take part in training due to how I was born weaker due to the curse on hunters who have twins." Ichiru said as he looked toward Ametsuki to see that she had a bit of a blank look on her face.

"That is not the full truth is it?" she asked since she had a suspicion on why they did not get along, and that part of it had to deal with her aunt.

"You are very perceptive, just like your aunt." Ichiru said as he looked to the side. "I guess another part of it is because despite how I have stayed by Shizuka's side this entire time she has never once drank my blood but she has drank Zero's. She even changed him into a vampire but she will not change me even though I would be able to be of greater service to her than as a human." Ichiru said as a hint of frustration filtered into his tone only to calm when he heard a soft answer.

"She does not change you because she cares for you, and she sees you as perfect already." Ametsuki said. "That and how you at times act she would not wish for you to be bent to her will or the will of other vampires so easily because if she turned you then you would be nothing but a mindlessly faithful servant." Ametsuki said in a sad tone.

"But…" Ichiru started but Ametsuki held up a pale hand to silence him.

"Another reason is because of how she does not wish for you to live the cursed existence of a vampire." Ametsuki said with a pained look on her face. "Because as a human you are still allowed to be free." Ametsuki said as Ichiru gave her a confused look for a second before he understood what she meant.

"You mean with how because you are a pureblood princess that you are not allowed to be with who you choose unless things change?" Ichiru asked as Ametsuki nodded.

"Yes, and because of my selfish act right after I awakened, the one I love may not have much longer…" she said in a sad tone only for Ichiru to kneel before her.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he had thought that Hanabusa had sounded like himself from what Satsujin had described after they had gotten Ametsuki and Yuki back within the safety of the estate.

"I mean because in a fit of being selfish I ordered Hanabusa to drink my blood." She said as Ichiru gave her a surprised look. "He could have refused to an extent but he did as he was told as I let him drink from me to allow him to see through my blood that my love for him was still true, that he was the one my heart belonged to." Ametsuki said in a sad tone. "And now because of that, he has hungered for my blood for the last year and he is slowly reaching a breaking point and he will soon become worse than a Level E." she said as she was beyond worried about the fate of the one that she loved with everything that she was. "If only I could allow him to drink my blood again it would help curve his lust for it and allow more time for us to find a way around my supposed arranged marriage to Kal." She said clenching her fists at her sides as she gripped at the thick blanket that was on her bed.

Ichiru felt horrible for the burden that Ametsuki was bearing at the moment, he thought there had to be something that he could do to help save Hanabusa for her sake. Then it occurred to him. Shizuka! Surely she could allow Hanabusa to come to the safety of the estate if it meant saving him and in turn saving her niece from this burden. With that thought in mind he reached out resting his hand on Ametsuki's fist drawing her cerulean gaze to fall on him. "I will find a way to bring Hanabusa here so that you can save him." Ichiru swore as he soon let his hand fall from her fist as he stood and headed toward the door only to hear a small voice from behind him.

"Thank you…"

/

An hour later Ametsuki heard the front door close as she stood from her bed and rushed over to the glass door and then rush through it once she opened it as she ran across the balcony to the railing just in time to see Ichiru getting into the car that had been used to transport everyone to the soiree a week before. "Ichiru…" Ametsuki whispered as he had slipped into the car and shut the door before driving off down the drive and through the gates that closed once he got through them. She remained there watching for a while until the light from the headlights could no longer be seen. 'Where are you going…?' she thought to herself hoping that she had not upset him or that if he had done what he had said that it had not angered her aunt to the point that Ichiru had been forced to leave.

**A/N:** I was going to add more to this chapter but the next one I am hoping will have more in it. Depending on how things go, I am planning to have the next chapter up by early next week or maybe this weekend depending on how much time I get to write. Once again I want to give a special thanks to Myra K Kuran for favoriting, following and reviewing this story since the prequel.


	6. Chapter Five: Reunion

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Five: Reunion**

Ichiru continued to drive as he had felt the eyes of someone watching him as he had entered the car. Something told him that it was Ametsuki. 'I will do this so that I can see your smile once again.' He thought to himself as he saw in the rear view mirror that the gate had closed. 'Just wait Ametsuki, I will bring the one you long for to you.' He thought as his thoughts soon drifted to when he had left her room an hour before.

_Once he had left Ametsuki alone in her room, Ichiru felt a pang of worry and sadness in his heart due to how he hated to see her so upset. If he did not know better he would almost venture to guess that deep within his heart he felt love for her, though he knew her heart belong to Hanabusa so he would just stay by her side the way he did for Shizuka. He would protect the one who had shown him a pure smile and even acceptance that had managed to encourage him to discard the mask he once wore._

_After a brief second of looking at her closed door he clenched his right fist before he started down the hall toward the library, where he knew Shizuka would be at that time of night. Sure he was not a vampire and not bound to follow anyone's orders he would still at least ask for Shizuka's blessing for him to retrieve Hanabusa for Ametsuki. Though it did not take long before he reached the door to the library as he opened the door and looked in only to see Shizuka sitting on her favorite chair reading a book. _

"_I have returned." Ichiru spoke as he entered the room only to cross to where Shizuka was as he dropped down on one knee before her as he looked up slightly behind his slightly grown out silver hair to see Shizuka close the book and set it to the side of the chair._

"_And? How is she fairing?" Shizuka asked with worry evident in her voice._

_Ichiru angled his head down ever so slightly. "She is still shaken up from the encounter with that other vampire." He said before he decided to go head first into his request. "That and she seems worried about the son of Aidou, so perhaps if you granted me permission to do so, I could go retrieve him and bring him here for Lady Ametsuki." He said only to feel Shizuka's hard pink gaze on him._

"_What makes you think bringing that boy here would calm her?" Shizuka asked in a low tone but in the tone there was a hint that if Ichiru did not tread carefully that he would face her wrath._

"_Because just now she spent a good few moments crying over her worry for the son of Aidou due to the current state he is. Something she blames herself for." He said as he kept his head angled down but due to the shift he knew Shizuka had stood and saw as she moved out of his line of vision as she walked away from him. But he soon continued. "She said that when they last saw one another after the battle with Yukiro, that she allowed the son of Aidou to drink her blood and that from what she has found out that act has sent him into a downward spiral that will end with him becoming worse than a Level E." Ichiru said as he heard Shizuka stop walking and he dared to look up and shift to look back at her to see that she had a distant yet worried look on her face. "Is it true?" he asked in an almost hesitant tone._

_Shizuka had remained silent for several moments before she slowly inclined her head and proceeded to nod showing that it was indeed true. "Yes, that is why it is seen as our greatest taboo for anyone other than another pureblood to feed on one." She said as she walked over to the window only to reach up and rest her pale hand on the cool glass. "I had tried to spare her from this, but it seems that it is true, that the woman born with Hio blood in them are destined to know nothing but misery in its purest forms." She said as Ichiru gave her a shocked look, something that she seemed to notice in the reflection of the glass. "You seem surprised by what I have said, Ichiru." She said as Ichiru jumped ever so slightly since he had thought she had not noticed his look._

"_I…I am because of how surely it cannot be that a single family is bound to see nothing but misery because even you have known happiness and now you even have found one that you thought you had lost." Ichiru said as he stood. "So surely you have moved past feeling misery." He said but Shizuka shook her head._

"_I have not. My heart still aches with the misery that I feel from the loss of my twin and her beloved. For the one I made my lover that your parents ended the life of. At times I feel pained by how I altered the fate of your brother, Zero." She admitted while Ichiru gave her a surprised look as she gave a faint smile, one that was like the one that Ametsuki had been giving lately that had nothing but pain behind it. "Are you surprised?" she asked as Ichiru shook his head after a moment._

"_No. I have felt that for some time that there might be hints of regret there." He admitted but Shizuka turned toward him giving him a blank look._

"_But the thing I feel pained about more than anything, is Ametsuki." She said as Ichiru took half a step back as though he had been struck._

"_How is it that you are pained by her? She is your niece, the child of your sister." Ichiru said but Shizuka shook her head at him._

"_I am pained because I had always wished for a child only for my sister to be the one to have one, and even from when Ametsuki was born, I wished for her to be mine. I had wished for her to be my child, a selfish wish." Shizuka said as she looked to the side. "Part of why I forced her to not be near that boy that she loves is because I feared that if she did find love that I would lose her and have nothing left after I had only just got her back." She said as she looked to the side with a pained look on her face. "All due to how having her back by my side, it is the closest that I will ever come to having Sachi or Kiyoshi back." She said as Ichiru got an odd feeling as he knew voicing his next thought could mean death._

"_You loved your sister's husband?" he asked as Shizuka looked at him as her eyes glowed red as she had thoughts to kill Ichiru where he stood, but he spoke again. "I will not say a word, but is it true? That despite you being engaged to the Rido that you had feelings for Kiyoshi?" Ichiru asked as Shizuka took a deep breath only to allow her eyes to return to pink._

"_Yes, I did love Kiyoshi, and I wanted him, but I could see that his heart belonged to Sachi so I allowed myself to be taken by Rido." Shizuka said turning her back to Ichiru._

_Ichiru then began to understand more. Shizuka saw Ametsuki as partly her daughter if not fully her child because she was the child of her twin sister which had it not been for Ametsuki's mother then Shizuka's fate and possibly Ametsuki's would have been different. Though he forced that thought from his mind as he spoke again. "Will you allow me to go get the son of Aidou so as to calm Ametsuki's worry and her tears so that you can see your daughter happy again?" he asked as he saw a glimmer in Shizuka's eyes, something had struck a chord with her. "If you will grant me permission, I will retrieve him and be back in two nights time at the most." He said as Shizuka nodded._

"_I will allow it, but not for that boy." She said in a harsh tone. "I am allowing it for my darling Ametsuki."_

Ichiru sighed as he continued driving as he thought to himself that he would do whatever it took to insure that Ametsuki was happy once again, since he was sure seeing the young princess happy would return happiness to Shizuka. He knew he deeply loved both of them but he could not be with either of them because of how they were just too different, and how Shizuka refused to allow even Ametsuki to grant Ichiru's one wish, to become a vampire. Though at that thought he bit his bottom lip as he shook his head at the thought of how things had once been compared to how they were now. 'I will devote all that I am to both Lady Shizuka and Princess Ametsuki…' he thought as he continued to drive.

/

Ametsuki lay on her bed under the covers as she tossed and turned shortly after dawn as she had decided to try and get some sleep only for her dreams to be plagued by strange fragments. As the fragments passed before her she tossed and turned ever so slightly her head going from side to side as she whispered things that were not even able to be made out as she remained asleep.

"_Defy the curse!" a voice called to her in the darkness._

"_The war is fast approaching!" another called out as Ametsuki tried to call back but there was nothing else within the darkness._

_That is until the image of Yukiro appeared before her as her cerulean eyes went wide due to how she knew he was dead because she and Hanabusa had destroyed him together. But his lips moved ever so slightly as a smirk formed on his face. "You will never escape your cursed fate." He said as he was encased in ice only for the image inside of the ice to change to that of another, but before she could see fully who it was the ice shattered falling to the ground in millions of pieces._

Before she had even woke, a scream escaped Ametsuki as she sat up with a start as she was holding her head only for tears to be streaming down her face as she sat there. It was several moments before she calmed down as she slowly drew her knees up to her chest wondering what had been the deal with that dream since she knew all of her memories were restored, so surely nothing was left to be found out about her past. 'No…' she thought as she shook her head as she reached up with her pale hand wiping away her tears. 'That was not a memory… it was something else.' She thought as she threw off the blanket and slid to the side of her bed only to stand and look around. But when her eyes fell on something that was a treasured keep sake that Shizuka had found for her she felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. A picture of her father, a man with her eyes but he had a slightly harder expression. His white hair was slightly grown out and seemed to fall in his face in a few spots but besides that framed it. Beside him was her mother, Sachi, the younger twin of her aunt, and in her arms was a bundle that was their newborn daughter.

Though as she looked at it her eyes went out of focus as something started to play through her mind. But as it was playing through her mind, her eyes closed and she fell to the floor unconscious.

_Ametsuki stood behind her mother as her parents were standing facing her Uncle Yukiro and his son who was around eight years old while Ametsuki was only three years of age. Though while she stood there she felt the young boy eyeing her so she moved more behind her mother's yukata that she was wearing as she heard her father speak up. "I will not allow this union to happen, even if father has said that my daughter is to be your son's fiancé!" Kiyoshi ground out in frustration._

"_But you forget, brother. That our father is still the head of the family and what he says is law to us." Yukiro said placing his fingertips together before himself. "And he has decreed that the young princess should be with a suitable prince." Yukiro said as Kiyoshi stood from where he had been sitting facing his brother. "Do not act so upset, Kiyoshi." Yukiro said with a chuckle._

"_I have already said that I will not allow this union. I would rather my daughter be with anyone other than your son because I doubt he will be any different than how you are." Kiyoshi ground out as Yukiro shook his head._

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk." Yukiro said in a pleased tone. "I am sure that our father would be most upset to hear that the one he had originally thought would be the right choice as the next head of the Hoshioko family was going against his wishes that he might intervene and take action against that certain someone." Yukiro said with a grin on his face as his crimson eyes showed nothing but amusement at the agony on his brother's face. "Let the children interact and see if anything comes from this small meeting." He said as Kiyoshi reluctantly nodded as the youth beside Yukiro stepped forward._

"_Hello, my name is Kal." He said bowing to the shy young princess hiding behind her mother. "Why don't we go out into the garden?" he asked offering her his hand as she smiled and accepted, much to her uncle's delight. Though in truth Ametsuki had only accepted due to how the garden was her favorite spot on the grounds of the estate._

_Leaving the adults to discuss matters that she did not understand, Ametsuki walked along side Kal as they headed outside into the vast garden as she let go of his hand and ran over toward a large fountain in the center. As she climbed up on the rim of it she went to reach out toward the water but a hand reached out and gently enclosed hers as she looked back into the steel eyes of Kal._

"_You should try to be careful, princess." He said as Ametsuki giggled but she nodded at him showing she would attempt to be more careful as Kal kept her hand in his as Ametsuki walked around the rim of the fountain. "You do not get to be outside to much?" he asked as Ametsuki felt him look at him only to shake her head._

"_No, mommy and daddy do not like me out of their sight." She said showing she was very well versed for being such a small child, she hopped down from the rim of the fountain only to continue.. "But when I can get away, I always like it here." She said as she smiled up at Kal._

"_Would you like me to take you away from this place?" he asked as he stopped only to drop on one knee facing the young princess who was almost blinding due to her pale skin, white hair and white dress she was wearing._

"_Away? Is there more beyond here?" she asked since her whole world was the estate._

"_Yes." Kal said as he smirked. "There is a whole world beyond the walls of this estate." He said as Ametsuki's cerulean eyes were wide with wonder._

"_What is outside?" she asked as she was near bouncing up and down with excitement wanting to hear about the outside world._

"_It…it is hard to describe." He said as Ametsuki's smile fell at hearing that only for Kal to reach out and cup her face in his hand and brush some of her white hair back away from her face since her hair was grown out to the center of her back. "Though as said, if you wish to know what the outside world is like, all you need do is say your wish to go outside this place, and I will honor that wish." He said only for one of the maids to come outside and get Ametsuki saying it was time for her nap as she said bye-bye to Kal._

Ametsuki woke in a dazed confused state due to how the dream she had was so real, and she knew that the one she had seen had been Yukiro, and the boy had been the one who claimed to be her fiancé. She went to sit up but the room was spinning as she heard a knock on the door only to be followed by a voice.

"Ametsuki?" came the voice of Yuki.

"Come…in…" Ametsuki said as she was still laying on the floor with the room spinning no matter how hard she had tried to convince herself that nothing was spinning.

Though once the door opened, she saw the spinning images of Yuki and Zero there as Yuki rushed over to Ametsuki and went to help her up but Ametsuki shook her head only for Yuki to move her hands back. "But we need to get you up off of the floor!" Yuki said in worry but Zero went to the other side and despite protests, he scooped up Ametsuki and carried her bridal style over to the bed and placed her down so she was laying down but propped up by the pillows. "What happened?" Yuki asked as she went to the other side of the vast bed and crawled up on it only to sit on her knees leaning forward while looking at Ametsuki with worry in her brown eyes.

"I am not sure." Ametsuki said as the room started to finally stop spinning. "I was looking at that picture over there." She said pointing to the picture of her parents as Yuki and Zero looked at it for a brief moment before their attention went back to Ametsuki once she started to talk again. "Then I felt everything go out of focus only for me to have a strange dream…but it felt more like a memory." She said as Yuki looked to Zero with a worried look as he spoke.

"I will go get Shizuka." He said as he left the room in a rush to go and get Shizuka due to how at the moment there was something that was not right about the timing for Ametsuki to be remembering something. 'She should have already regained every memory from her life before.' He thought to himself as he rushed down the hall heading toward the library.

/

Ichiru pulled up to the villa as he saw that it seemed that everyone was resting, so this would be easy enough. 'Now which one is his room…' Ichiru thought to himself as he cut the ignition of the car and got out standing with the door open while he looked at the windows before he saw the silhouette of the one he was there for. 'There!' he thought as he went over toward the wall to find a few vines that it seemed the gardener had missed. 'Perfect!' Ichiru thought as he got a firm grip on the vine and proceeded to climb up to the window where he pushed it to find it was open before he climbed onto the window sill and then in through the open window past the curtains. "Aidou?" he asked in a soft tone due to how he preferred to get in, get the one he was there for, and leave to get him back to the Hoshioko estate as quickly as possible.

It only took a moment of looking around to see that Hanabusa was to the side with his back to Ichiru. "Aidou, I am here to take you with me." He said as he stepped forward but Hanabusa turned toward him and shook his head.

"I am not sure if I should because of how you snuck in." Hanabusa said since he knew who Ichiru was, the younger twin and also a faithful servant of Shizuka's even though he was still a human. "Though I will hear you out. Why are you here?" Hanabusa asked with a skeptical tone as the look in his electric blue eyes said it all to Ichiru, that time was short for the heir of the Aidou line.

"I am here under orders to bring you with me." Ichiru said but Hanabusa shook his head at him only to turn his back.

"I do not think I will be going." He said closing his eyes while he had his back to Ichiru.

'Really?!' Ichiru thought in annoyance before he moved his anti-vampire gun from the holster at his side. "You do not have a choice." Ichiru said as he pulled the trigger as a loud shot was heard only for Hanabusa to fall to the floor bleeding from his left side only for Hanabusa to yell various things out of rage as Ichiru walked over. "I will not allow you to be the source of her pain any longer!" he ground out as he picked up the wounded Ichiru and went to turn toward the window only for the door to open to show Nagamichi.

"What are you doing? Put my son down!" he ordered but Ichiru smirked at the older vampire.

"Sorry, but my orders come from someone else." He said as he turned and ran at the window only to jump through it and land down on the ground as smoothly as he could manage as he did not even glance back up at the window as he rushed to the car only to throw Hanabusa in the back seat before getting in the front. "Let's go!" he mumbled to himself as the car roared to life as Ichiru slammed it into gear as he stomped on the gas pedal as the car sped off into the night as he saw some giving chase but he outran them as he knew the back ways well enough to navigate through the traps he had placed as those pursuing had turned to dust while the car disappeared into the night.

/

Zero walked as fast as he could soon coming to the library as he did not even bother knocking as he pushed the large door open only to see the woman he still detested over before one of the large shelves holding a dusty old book in her hands. He decided to ignore formality as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind himself as he kept his violet eyes on Shizuka as he thought that it would be easy to do what he still desired, to destroy Shizuka for what she did to him and his family. Though he knew deep down that if he did so it would cause trouble and worry for Yuki so he fought back the urge to shoot the woman.

"What do you need, Zero?" Shizuka asked after a moment showing she had been aware that he had entered the room the whole time, though she did not look up from the book that she was all but studying with her pink gaze.

After a few deep breaths, Zero spoke. "It is about Ametsuki." He said only to hear a thud as the book fell from Shizuka's hands and she turned toward Zero and in less than a second she was standing before him though he showed no reaction to it. Before a word could be said by Shizuka, Zero spoke up again. "Yuki and I went to visit her to make sure she was alright after the incident at the soiree last week but we found her on the floor. I moved her to her bed and left Yuki with her before coming to let you know."

Shizuka kept all emotion from showing on her face as she had listened to what Zero had said. She knew that there had to be something wrong, or maybe it was nothing. She was hoping for the latter in this case. "Did she say anything when you moved her?" Shizuka asked calmly as it seemed both she and Zero were doing all they could to keep any emotions from showing in front of the other.

"Just one thing." Zero said in a level tone. "She said she had a weird dream that felt more like a memory." He said as Shizuka nodded and walked past him only for him to speak without turning to face Shizuka at first. "Which I do not see it even being possible because when she awakened a year ago all spells on her concealing memories from her were to have been broken." He said as he turned to face Shizuka to see that she had stopped only a couple yards away from him. "Unless someone did something to insure some memories would remain hidden from her." He said in an accusing tone.

Shizuka remained where she was only for a second before she turned and went back at Zero grabbing him by the throat and tightening her hand around his neck as he reached for his bloody rose but Shizuka spoke an order. "Be still!" she said in a low tone as she saw the fight in Zero's eyes disappear as he obeyed her as she kept her hand closed around his throat. "You are to never mention what you said again." She ordered as Zero gave a nod before she released him. "Good, now when we get to Ametsuki's room you are to take Yuki and return to your room with her." Shizuka said as she turned and headed from the library as Zero followed slowly coming out from under Shizuka's control.

'I hate her!' he thought as the order bound him in more ways than one with how he could not even tell Yuki his suspicions now. But maybe he could show her through his blood that was the only way that he would be able to manage getting away with letting someone know about what had transpired.

/

Ametsuki sat on her bed with Yuki beside her as Yuki was trying to assure her everything would be alright but Ametsuki shook her head. "It won't be." She said as Yuki gave her a sad look.

"Why not?" she asked since she was beyond worried about her friend since she usually only ever saw her this upset when she caught her in solitude mourning the fact that she could not be with the man she loved.

"Because in the dream it looked like Yukiro was related to my father…" she said as Yuki gave her a shocked look. All due to how Yuki had not been present during the final confrontation because she had been helping her adoptive father who had been hurt in Kaname's escape. But she had heard from the others that Yukiro had been an insane vampire set on having Ametsuki for himself.

After a moment Yuki gulped ever so slightly before she found her voice again. "How so?" she asked but Ametsuki did not get to answer because in that next second there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" Yuki called in her friends place as the door opened to reveal Zero and Shizuka. "Shizuka…" Yuki said in relief as she slid off of the large bed and walked over toward the older vampire.

"Go with Zero, I want to speak to Ametsuki alone." She said as Yuki nodded and went to Zero as she took his hand and the two left down the hall as Shizuka shut the door behind the two. "Zero told me that you collapsed." Shizuka said as she walked over to the bed and gracefully sat on the edge of the bed only for Ametsuki to shift and crawl over closer. "You have been neglecting yourself." Shizuka said since she could tell that Ametsuki was hungering for blood. "Drink." She said holding out her pale wrist as Ametsuki reached out holding her aunts wrist in her hands.

"But it will not fully satisfy me…" Ametsuki said in a pained tone only for Shizuka to reach out and gently cup the side of Ametsuki's face so that her niece was looking at her.

"I know, but it will at least help you calm down." Shizuka said as Ametsuki leaned down to Shizuka's wrist only to sink her fangs in before she started to feed from her aunt. "I had hoped to save you from the pain that you are feeling now." Shizuka whispered using her other hand to lightly stroke Ametsuki's long white hair as she drank. It was only a few moments before Ametsuki leaned up as her eyes were closed but when she opened them they were glowing crimson as some of Shizuka's blood was on her lips and even dripped down in a narrow line to her chin.

"Aunt Shizuka…" Ametsuki said only for Shizuka to raise her hand and wipe away the blood.

"We will talk more later, for now you need to try and get some rest." Shizuka said as Ametsuki looked like she was about to protest but Shizuka shook her head showing there was no room for argument. "I promise we will talk later." She said but she did not specify on when later would be. Though when she saw that the arguing had gone from Ametsuki's eyes she shifted off of the bed so that Ametsuki could lay down only for Shizuka to tuck her in before leaving the room once she was sure Ametsuki had fallen asleep.

/

It was not until around sunset that day that Ichiru pulled up in the car with a still injured Hanabusa in the back seat. Sure he knew that was a bit mean to do to the one he was to bring back with him, but Ichiru found he did not care in the slightest all due to how he was acting for the one who was one of only a few whom he cared for. As they pulled up he saw someone approaching the door as he reached for the gun beside him on the passenger seat, but then he saw who it was. Maria Kurenai!

The car came to a stop not too far from the front door as Maria turned showing she looked the same as ever, though she still looked a bit frail at the moment. Her hair seemed to still be in favor with having the slight bun to the side while the rest fell down past her shoulders or in Ichiru's opinion framing her face. As he went to get out of the car he felt her grey tinted purple eyes on him only to hear the bag she had been carrying fall to the ground.

"Ichiru!" Maria said in excitement as she ran over as Ichiru barely had time to brace himself before the young vampire collided with him in a hug which he returned. "It has been far too long!" Maria said in a happy tone as she leaned back away from Ichiru.

"Yes it has been, but it is good to see you." Ichiru said as he was glad to have Maria back because she was another that he cared for but on a different level than he cared for Shizuka or Ametsuki. "Though I need to move the one with me into the house." He said as Maria let him out of the hug giving him a curious look before she spoke her guess as to who it was.

"The son of Aidou?" she asked reaching up only to fidget with some of her hair.

"Yes, I retrieved him on Amet-Lady Ametsuki's request." He said since when in the presence of others he had been told by Shizuka to call Ametsuki by a proper title and not be so casual.

Though it did not go unnoticed by Maria who smiled at him. "So you are becoming close with Ametsuki?" she asked since she had thought something was there, something that had actually pained Maria due to how she loved Ichiru and wished to be closer to him.

"She asked that I call her by her first name." he said as he opened the door only to grab Hanabusa and go to walk toward the house as Maria had closed the car door behind Ichiru and followed him along with the one he was supporting.

"So she is still having a hard time adjusting back to being a pureblood princess? Or is Shizuka helping her with it?" Maria asked as she opened the door letting Ichiru pass but once inside Maria and Ichiru stopped where they stood letting the door close behind them. All due to how the figure that greeted them was that of Shizuka, and she had a pained smile on her face.

"Maria, I was not expecting you back so soon." Shizuka said with a smile at Maria before looking to Ichiru along with the one he was carrying. "Take him to the spare room and then take Ametsuki to him." She said in a tone that made it evident that she was still not fully approving of this, but if it meant saving her niece from grief, Shizuka would allow it. Once Ichiru had bowed and left the entry way Maria approached Shizuka with a stern look on her face.

"We both know why I came back early." Maria said as Shizuka nodded before leading Maria into the sitting room off of the entry way.

/

Ichiru kept going until he got Hanabusa up the stairs and left him on the couch in the guest room as he leaned back only for Hanabusa to be holding his side. "Stay here I will return shortly." Ichiru instructed before he turned and left the room only to lock the door behind himself as a precaution. 'To make sure no one else goes in there.' He thought because of how everyone else in the estate except for him was a vampire and surely would catch onto the scent of blood soon if they had not already.

Though on his way to Ametsuki's room, Ichiru came across Satsujin who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed before himself only for him to look at Ichiru with crimson eyes. "Are you sure this is what she wants?" Satsujin asked in reference to the blood that he saw on Ichiru, and the blood that he could smell that was all but saturating the air through the estate.

"Yes, I only did this so that I can take away her pain and see her smile again." Ichiru said as he stopped. "I will always protect her smile." He said before he started walking again only for Satsujin to smile at Ichiru in an approving way due to how Satsujin knew that Ichiru all but loved Ametsuki but had accepted that he could never share those feelings with her.

A few moments later Ichiru got the room he had been heading toward and reached up only to lightly knock and waited until he heard the soft angelic voice from within grant him permission to enter. So he reached down to the handle and turned before opening the door to see Ametsuki was slightly concealed by the lace hanging before the glass door to the balcony. But even while concealed by the lace he could see that she was wearing a pure white dress that hung down to her knees as she was barefoot. Her long white hair hung about her face and down behind her, the light of the moon making her seem to be almost beyond any comprehension of beauty in Ichiru's eyes.

Though at seeing Ichiru, Ametsuki moved from behind the lace as she went to go over to him until she noticed the blood on him as her cerulean eyes went crimson for a moment before she took a deep breath forcing away her craving at the moment. "You just got back?" Ametsuki asked after she had calmed as Ichiru smiled and nodded at her only to offer her his hand before he spoke to her.

"Yes, though I have brought back something that you should see." He said as he saw the look of curiosity in her eyes as she placed her hand in his only for him to turn and lead her from her room and down the hall. As they passed where Ichiru had seen Satsujin before it was to find that he had moved on to somewhere else. 'Good, that means that Ametsuki will be allowed privacy for the sin that she and Hanabusa are sure to commit together.' He thought as they soon reached the door. "Go on." He said as he released her hand and pushed the door open for her as she walked past him only for Ichiru to let the door close behind her.

She stood there confused for a second as she felt the door close behind her only for her cerulean eyes to fall on a figure on one of the couches in the room as the scent of blood flooded her senses. A scent that she would know anywhere. "Hanabusa?!" Ametsuki spoke in shock as she looked at him in surprise only to see crimson glowing eyes from the figure that was on the couch.

**A/N: **Well there is the chapter. I am hoping that chapter six will not take as long to get up, but there was a lot for this chapter. I want to say a very special thanks to Myra K Kuran who has been reviewing since Blood Oath. I want to say that I really appreciate her reviews on each chapter. Also I plan to have the next chapter up by this weekend or next week depending on how long it takes for me to get it written down. Until then.


	7. Chapter Six: The Start of Their Sin

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Six: The Start of Their Sin**

Ametsuki could hardly believe her eyes, Hanabusa was there on the couch. Though she instantly took note of the blood that was coursing from the wound on his side as she could see that in his crimson eyes that it was as she had been fearing. "You want my blood, don't you?" she asked as she stepped closer as she could see the battle going on in Hanabusa's eyes. His glowing eyes were locked on her but as she stepped closer he pulled away further against the couch. "It is the only way to save you from the sin I forced you to commit." Ametsuki said in a pleading tone as walked closer to Hanabusa.

All the while Hanabusa was trying to breath as little as possible due to how even though Ametsuki was not bleeding, he could still smell the sweet scent from her blood. The beast in him was raging wanting him to tear her a part and take the blood but he would not do so. All due to how he had once seen her in a state of pure fear and he did not wish for her to ever be like that again. Though as he heard her step closer he allowed his glowing eyes to go to her only to see Ametsuki bring up her wrist and bite it with her fangs before offering the bleeding wrist to him. Her voice came as a distant whisper as he stood from the couch slowly only for his blood to fall to the floor as caught her wrist in his hand.

It took every ounce of self-control he had left to keep from doing anything drastic as he lifted her hand up and the scent of her blood flooded all of his senses as he felt himself tremble ever so slightly before he licked the blood around the bite marks that his love had inflicted upon herself. In that moment he was in pure bliss, the taste he had longed for flooded into him as his lips met her soft wrist and he drank freely from her.

/

Shizuka stopped midsentence while speaking with Maria as they both glanced toward the door to the sitting room. Maria had a look of confusion since she did not know all that was going on. But Shizuka, her expression was one of pain due to how she knew that this sealed the path that her niece had chosen. She had wished to protect her from this when she had tried to get Ametsuki to leave the academy a year ago without a parting farewell to that boy, but now there was no turning back.

"Is that…Ametsuki's blood?" Maria asked as she had a slight longing in her tone because the scent she had smelt in that second had been beyond intoxicating.

"Yes, it was her blood." Shizuka said in a blank tone. "Though onto why you came back, you are here for my end of our deal from a year ago?" Shizuka asked trying to take her mind off of the events that were unfolding upstairs. Though once Maria nodded to confirm that she was in fact there for the blood she had been promised, Shizuka shifted her sleeve. "Just a small sip of my blood and the thing you seek will be yours." She said as she knew that from the look she had seen that Maria had thought to taste Ametsuki's. Something that would never happen because Shizuka knew that Ametsuki's blood was dangerous.

Maria nodded as she stepped closer to Shizuka and knelt before her while Shizuka offered her wrist to Maria only for the younger vampire to hold Shizuka's hand in her own as though it were made of porcelain. The two remained like that for a brief second before Maria gently pierced Shizuka's wrist and drank a small amount of the sweet blood before she withdrew her fangs and leaned back releasing Shizuka's wrist as she felt that she was starting to feel better thanks to the blood.

Shizuka let her wrist fall back to her side as she felt the bite mark heal over within a few seconds due to her accelerated healing as she watched Maria who soon stood where she had been knelt. "I take it you are going to be staying with us for a while?" Shizuka asked as Maria nodded. "Very well, your room is the same one that you were using before." Shizuka said as she went to walk away from Maria, but the younger vampire spoke up.

"I have a question." Maria said in her innocent voice as she heard the gentle dance of fabric on the floor stop meaning she had the older vampire's attention. "Why is it that Ametsuki's blood smelt so alluring?" Maria asked turning toward Shizuka with a look of curiosity on her face. "Because I know pure bloods are supposed to have the best blood for our kind, but even when I smelt yours as I drank from you, the scent was not as potent or sweet." Maria said as Shizuka kept her back to Maria.

For several moments, Maria stood there thinking on how to go about answering, or if she should even do so. But she figured that there was no harm in doing a small answer, just not the full answer. "It is because my niece's blood is different." Shizuka said before she walked from the sitting room leaving Maria alone.

/

Zero had been sitting on the couch in his and Yuki's room reading a book until Yuki had come over and sat beside him only to lean against him ever so slightly. "Lonely?" Zero asked as he kept his book open acting like his focus was divided but it was in truth fully on Yuki.

"No, I am more worried than anything." Yuki admitted as she was beyond worried about her friend. "Ametsuki has been very distant about near everything. That and how Shizuka said that we are to not bring up Ametsuki's dream again, and assured that they are going to talk about it later." Yuki said as Zero shook his head.

"That is all we can do because of how right now the ones that Ametsuki needs are those who are close to her with what is to come." Zero said since he had overheard Ichiru and Satsujin talking recently about how things were about to get even more complicated and difficult for Ametsuki after her outburst at the soiree toward Ichiou. Though Zero had found it amusing how she had not even hesitated to stand up to the vampire who was several lifetimes her senior.

"That may be, but she has…" Yuki started but in that second she sat upright as Zero dropped his book to the floor with a faint thud when it hit the plush rug. "This is…" Yuki said in a whisper only for Zero to finish the sentence in a strained tone.

"Ametsuki…" he whispered as Yuki looked toward him only for Zero to lunge toward her and pin Yuki down on the couch holding down her wrists out beside her head as his face was near her neck as he could feel his fangs becoming more pronounced only to sink them into Yuki's neck and drink for a brief second before he calmed and quickly released Yuki only to stand from the couch and move across the room away from her.

/

Satsujin had been walking through the hall only for a sudden scent to hit him as he knew that scent instantly, it was Ametsuki! He stopped dead as he tensed while his right hand went up to his throat that was now burning for the taste of blood, mainly for his daughters. He fought it as best he could only for him to sink to his knees gasping and near gagging from the scent of the blood almost being overpowering.

It was to that state that Shizuka found him, as it was as she had feared when she had seen the way Maria reacted to the scent. She was sure Zero was having a hard time as well but surely Yuki could handle the boy. For now Shizuka walked closer to Satsujin only to hold out her wrist to him as without any hesitation he sank his fangs into her wrist without hesitation as he, just like Maria, calmed in just a few seconds of tasting her blood.

Once Satsujin came around to being himself once again he noticed that he was holding a wrist and that he tasted blood on his tongue that was not the one he had smelt a moment before. Slowly lifting his blue eyes he saw that it was actually Shizuka. It took every ounce of self-control that Satusjin had to not shove the woman away from him due to how he was so infuriated and confused at the same time. "Why did you give me your blood?" he asked since sure he had fed from her a handful of times but he mainly fed from Ametsuki since she was as Shizuka kept putting it, his master.

"Because you were close to losing yourself to the scent of Ametsuki's blood that is hanging in the air." Shizuka said as she pulled her wrist back from Satsujin as it healed over a second time. "You really should be thanking me rather than giving me such a look." She said since Satsujin was giving her a look of anger.

"You know I will never thank you." Satsujin said as he got to his feet as he glanced around as he could still smell Ametsuki's blood in the air. "Why did the mere scent of her blood do that to me?" Satsujin asked as Shizuka merely started walking until Satsujin grabbed her arm. "You are keeping secrets again, aren't you?" he asked since he was certain that Shizuka was just from how she had seemed to know to come and offer her blood to him.

"There is no reason for you to know." Shizuka said as Satsujin tightened his hand around her arm to insure that she stayed put.

"I think I do seeing as how we both want what is best for her and if her blood could be that potent I think that you need to explain so I am better able to protect her." Satsujin said in a low tone as he glared at Shizuka who half turned back toward him only to return his glare for several moments.

"I really do hate that you were granted that free will through my niece's blood when she changed you." Shizuka said in a low tone only for Satsujin to smirk at her.

"Only because you cannot order me to leave things alone like you do with Zero." He said as Shizuka gave him an even harsher look, something he easily brushed off. "Do not think for one second that I have not noticed that you have been sweeping more and more that deals with Ametsuki under the rug and keeping Zero quiet by constantly ordering him to not say a word."

Shizuka took a step toward Satsujin in a way that would have made other vampires cower due to the presence of a pureblood usually forcing one into submission, but Satsujin stood his ground and kept his blue eyes level with her pink ones. For several moments they stayed like that before Shizuka sighed. "Come with me and I will explain why her blood effected you in such a way." Shizuka said as she turned only for Satsujin to release her arm and walk along behind her toward the library since that was one of the few places they could easily speak in private.

/

Hanabusa continued to drink the blood of the one he loved as he felt the beast in him calm but at the same time it was raging for more. 'No! I cannot do more because I do not wish to hurt her!' The sane part of Hanabusa cried out as he continued to drink only for it to further fuel his animalistic desire, even more so when he heard the soft angelic voice of Ametsuki.

"Hanabusa…" Ametsuki said in worry due to how she was starting to worry due to how from what she had been told and what she had read he should not have had to drink this much in order to calm the beast side of himself that had been craving for her.

Though at hearing that soft innocent tone, Hanabusa withdrew his fangs from Ametsuki's wrist and looked up at her shinning cerulean with his glowing crimson. In that second his lustful eyes fell on her pale neck as he could all but hear the thumping of her heart and the blood pulsing through her delicate veins. Unable to stop himself he moved quickly as Ametsuki made no move to stop him as he was behind her and used his right hand to go over her mouth when she tried to speak and to force her neck to be more exposed to him. In that second he felt her arms start to come up but he snatched them and pinned them to her side only to take his time sniffing her neck as he could smell the fear coming off of her in that moment, something that aroused and disgusted him at the same time.

'This is wrong! I should not be making her fear me! I love her!' Hanabusa thought in a near panic but his body was still acting on its own as he realized in that moment that deep down this was his desire. To have her be his and his alone. Though at that realization Hanabusa all but gave in to the desires he was feeling. His nose was against her neck as she let out a muffled plea that seemed to only egg on the beast more. Even more so when he licked the side of her neck causing her to shudder in his arms as he even heard her draw a shuddering breath from behind his hand.

Though at hearing her heart skip a beat before quickening he opened his mouth as his fangs were more pronounced before he sank his fangs deep into her neck only to drink for a moment before the beast in him seemed to calm. As he slowly came back to himself his eyes lost the lust but were still glowing crimson as he tasted the sweet blood on his tongue before he realized whose blood it was. Ametsuki's! He withdrew his fangs and released her before moving back away from her as he brought up his hands over his eyes only to sink to the floor as he could feel that the wound from Ichiru had already healed over. "I am so sorry!" Hanabusa cried in a shaking tone due to how he had hurt the one he loved.

However Ametsuki merely reached up touching where there was some blood on her neck as the bite marks healed over before she walked over to Hanabusa and knelt down before him with a sweet smile on her face. "You have no reason to apologize, because it was an atonement for the sin I committed a year ago forcing you to drink my blood." Ametsuki said only for Hanabusa to lower his hands and look at her in confusion.

"How is it that it was a sin?" he asked because sure he knew he had committed a sin by drinking the blood of a pureblood, but to him there was no way that the angel before him could ever sin. For in his eyes she was the most beautiful flawless being.

Ametsuki lowered her eyes at the question that the one she loved was asking due to how she felt that due to her his fate was drastically changed. Though she could feel his gentle yet questioning eyes on her as she saw when she looked up that they had returned to their beautiful blue. She sat there before him for a moment before she managed to find her voice again. "It was my sin because I ordered you to drink my blood for a selfish reason not realizing that it would lead to you falling to the state you were in until you got your fill of my blood." She said in a small voice.

"The state I was in before? You mean how I all but attacked you after only sampling your blood from your wrist?" Hanabusa asked only for Ametsuki to nod confirming that it was that.

"Yes, because of how there is a reason that it is taboo if not then forbidden for anyone other than a fellow pureblood to drink the blood of one." She said in a small voice as to Hanabusa, while she was sitting before him with her face angled down with her long white hair falling about her small pale shoulders and even tickling at the floor, she looked like a broken angel. Though Ametsuki did not notice the way he was looking at her as she continued. "Because of how the blood of a pureblood can drive other vampires to insanity if they only taste it once and never again which is what was happening to you." She said as her frail shoulders shook ever so slightly.

All the while Hanabusa was watching her with shock and confusion due to how he had been brought up being told that the blood of a pureblood was the richest of blood which would calm a Level E from insanity, had the power to stabilize any vampire that was going insane and that it had healing properties. And yet from what Ametsuki was telling him, the power behind that blood was much stronger and potent than he had ever imagined.

"But everything is fine now, I am finally with a clear head unlike before." Hanabusa said as he reached out and brushed his fingertips against the side of Ametsuki's silk like skin as he even caught some stray strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear. An action that brought her attention back up to him as he was beyond happy to see her innocent cerulean eyes not with fear but with love burning in them. Though at seeing her there before him he felt his breath catch in his throat as he gulped to try and clear it. His body was now lusting in another way, he wanted to feel her against him.

With slight hesitation he shifted so that he was up on his knees and moved his hands so that they rested around behind her as only to gently lift her up to her knees before him before he gently pulled her closer so that her head was resting against his chest. With his princess resting against him he moved his right hand up to rest on the back of her head while his left encircled her small waist that he was worried if he held to tight he might break her.

Ametsuki was surprised to say the least with how Hanabusa pulled her up to her knees holding her close as she rested her head against his chest just enjoying the scent that she could smell on him. "I wish we could stay like this forever…" she whispered only to lean back slightly as Hanabusa brought up his hand lightly catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Even if not forever, we can be now." He said as he leaned down as his lips slowly met her's. Sending a surge almost like electricity through his body as he felt her almost shyly return the kiss, something that made him beyond happy, for in that moment he was allowed to be with her without anyone interrupting them. Though it did not take long as he soon found that he wanted more than the simple innocent kiss, he wanted more of her. His lips parted ever so slightly as his tongue slipped past only to brush her lips for a brief second before she responded by allowing him to deepen the kiss as his tongue went into her mouth.

'I need her!' he thought as he continued to kiss her with a passion that he had not fully realized that he felt for her, it was something that seemed more real than even drinking one another's blood. A concept that he found confused him due to how he had always thought drinking blood was the most intimate thing two vampires could do with one another besides an act that he knew that he and Ametsuki were not yet ready for. Though feeling her small body against his sent his mind into a near frenzy as he lowered her down onto the rug as he leaned over top of her continuing to kiss her with a deep passion.

/

Outside on the grounds Ichiru had found a tree that was located near the window of the room where he had left the young couple alone, but something told him it was best to keep watch from outside due to how he did not know how Hanabusa would react to drinking Ametsuki's blood. Would it save his sanity? Or would it push him over the edge? There was no telling, so Ichiru climbed up the tree with ease and stood on a sturdy branch concealed by the smaller branches as he watched the scene inside the room unfold. Though as he had seen Hanabusa forcefully drinking from Ametsuki's neck he had considered in that moment to end Hanabusa's life for doing that act.

'Wait and see…' he told himself in his thoughts as he soon saw the scene shift to the two talking before embracing and even kissing. Though at seeing the two kiss, Ichiru felt a deep pang of sadness since in truth he wished he could have that moment with Ametsuki. To feel her in his arms, be the one to bring about her sweet innocent smiles, to be able to be by her side as a lover and protector.

'It was never meant to be, she belongs with him.' He thought as he turned his back unable to take any more of what he was seeing through the window as he jumped down from the tree landing knelt close to the ground until his long coat fell behind him. 'So long as that is what she wishes, I will be the knight to protect her happiness.' He thought to himself as he stood only to hear an innocent voice from nearby.

"Watching the one you can never have?" Maria asked as she stepped out from behind a tree revealing that she was wearing a casual long sleeve black dress that fell to her knees and flat shoes.

Ichiru slowly stood and looked toward Maria with his violet eyes as they held no emotion at the moment. "What do you mean? I was just doing my duty as her protector as ordered by Lady Shizuka." Ichiru said since it was slightly true but not fully because Shizuka had never once ordered him to watch her so closely.

"I mean the look on your face. It says it all." Maria said as she stepped closer to Ichiru as her footfalls did not make a single sound. "You have longing in your eyes, but it is once again for one that you cannot ever be with." She said as she went to reach for Ichiru but he reached up hitting her hand away only to turn his back to her.

"I know my place and that is as her protector, nothing more." Ichiru said as he walked away seeming to be his usual self, but to Maria she could see the torture that the young man was feeling.

'He is hiding from his true feelings because he knows the full truth, or at least what he is being allowed to know. That those of the Hio line are cursed, and yet it seems if he does know that, he is seeking to be one to help break the blood stained curse.' Maria thought to herself as she knew that part of why she was born with such a weak body was due to her being a distant relation to the Hio family.

/

Kaname sat in the sitting room before the fire facing Kal who was beyond enthused due to how it seemed that he was going to win their little bet. Though after several moments of silence with the fire light dancing across the two figures in the arm chairs and along the walls, Kal spoke up.

"At this rate you will lose your crown." Kal said with a smirk playing at his lips.

"Not necessarily, due to how your fiancé is like mine. Neither want anything to do with us yet you have decided to allow me to be around your sister which I have already made progress with." Kaname said giving Kal a faint smile with no emotion behind it.

"Not fully true, because I have a plan to make sure that Ametsuki will be mine in due time, long before you can seal the full deal with my sister." Kal said as the door opened a moment later to reveal his little sister.

"Kal!" Amami said in a happy tone as she smiled toward her big brother as she let the door close behind herself before she walked over only to stop when she saw Kaname as a faint blush found its way onto her pale face, something that Kal noticed as he stood from his chair only to walk over and rest a hand on his little sisters shoulder.

"I have some things to take care of, so why don't you stay here and spend time with our guest." He said as Amami nodded with happiness evident in her eyes as she went over to sit on Kaname's lap while Kal walked out of the room only for the door to close behind him. 'It is almost time for the next phase of my plan.' He thought to himself as he started down the hall with a smirk firmly on his lips as he walked into the shadows of the long hallway.

**A/N**: This is a little late, but it took me a bit to get the scene between Ametsuki and Hanabusa correct. I was going to put the end scene at the start of the next but I figured best to put it right here to show what Kaname, Kal and Amami are up to slightly. As some may have noticed, I moved the rating to M on this story. This is due in part to the scene in this chapter and what is to come in later chapters. Once again a very special thanks to Myra K Kuran for reviewing every chapter this far. I plan to have the next chapter up by this weekend or early next week. Until next time.


	8. Chapter Seven: Tip of the Curse

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Seven: Tip of the Curse**

Kaname sat before the fire with Amami on his lap as he lightly ran his fingers through her hair as the young girl seemed beyond content to feel his touch. He knew there was an age difference, but it was the same as between him and Yuki so he found he did not care about that, all he cared about was that the young girl did as he wanted. Which meant he had an obligation to keep her happy so that she would not turn on him the way that Yuki had. So after a moment, Kaname spoke up in a gentle voice. "Amami?" he asked as the girl shifted so she was looking up at him with her steel colored eyes. "What are your feelings for me?" he asked as he was lightly twisting some of her hair around his long fingers.

Amami could not help the blush that found itself onto her face as she looked up at him only to see that his wine colored eyes were still locked on her in a gentle questioning gaze. Her heart skipped a beat under those eyes as she looked down to try and contain the emotions flooding through her at the moment. "I…I really like you." She admitted shyly only for Kaname to lean closer as she could feel his breath against her and hear as he inhaled her scent, something that made her heart race even more.

"So you would want me to be happy?" he asked in a whisper only to feel the young girl on his lap nod as he could not help but smile. "I am glad." He said as he shifted so that he was no longer to close but looking at her. "Will you make me happy now?" he asked only for Amami to give him a shy nod as he leaned in so that his face was only an inch from hers. "Become mine." He whispered as Amami nodded at him only for Kaname to lean in as his lips met Amami's in a near questioning kiss that she almost eagerly returned as she brought up her hands to reach behind his head and tangle in his slightly grown out brown hair.

'Just a little more.' Kaname thought as he continued to kiss Amami. 'And then she will be fully mine.' He knew he could easily take her right then and there, but he did not wish to rush and chance anything going wrong, instead he would go slow to leave this girl craving more and more from him so that by the end she would be begging for him to take her as a full fledge lover.

/

Shizuka led Satsujin into the library as she pointed to one of the chairs indicating for him to sit but he did not move toward it since he was there only to find out the truth behind what Shizuka was hiding from him. Though when she gave him an annoyed look he returned it. "I am not in here for a casual visit, I want answers." Satsujin said as Shizuka sighed only to turn and walk over to the book shelf and pull down a dusty book that was hidden behind some others. "Is there a reason that book was hidden in such a way?" Satsujin asked finding that to be beyond odd.

"Yes it was hidden because it holds the truth about Ametsuki's powers and the reason that she is feared and sought after by other vampires, and why Kaname Kuran targeted her a year ago." Shizuka said as she held the book as though it was a delicate treasure. "It chronicles the details of the curst that the Hio's are under until Ametsuki's eighteenth birthday." Shizuka said as she walked back toward Satsujin.

"But what does that have to do with why her blood was so overpowering?" Satsujin asked as he kept his eyes on the older vampire.

"It is because her birth was foretold by another as a way to break a curse placed on the Hio family, mainly the women." Shizuka said as she handed the book to Satsujin. "Read that and you will understand the full gravity of the situation and why it is so vital that things go a very certain way." Shizuka said before she walked over to her favorite chair and taking a seat as her pink eyes remained on Satsujin while he opened the book only to start reading, only to find that it was not a book but instead a journal.

_I have not kept track of the date because of how I see no point at this point in my life, the days drag on, blending from one to the next so I just live each day as it comes. I have settled in a new home, one that I hope will be a good place for myself along with my wife Hikari. Though it seems that days are still dark for our kind all due to how those created to combat our kind have grown weary of any of us that do seek to coexist, so despite my oath to myself and to my beloved to not get involved, I have had to and earlier today I took the life of a hunter I caught breaking into the grounds of my home just wishing to kill me and Hikari._

_There is no denying that there was a distinct thrill that I felt at the moment I killed the human after sinking my fangs deep to drink from him, but instead of allowing him a calm quiet death I decided to leave him writhing in pain for a good hour before he finally drew his last. Maybe there is a reason that the hunters target those of use that are the purest of vampires._

Satsujin looked to Shizuka for a brief moment as she remained sitting still just eyeing him only for Satsujin to speak a moment later. "Whose journal is this?" he asked but Shizuka merely shook her head at him.

"Keep reading, he will reveal who he is." Shizuka said showing that she was very familiar with the contents of the journal. With minor hesitation Satsujin turned his blue eyes back to the journal as he continued reading.

_Each day I grow more and more weary, yet it does not seem to be anything other than me growing restless in my age. Though I suppose any who have lived to see all that I have would have become weary or slipped into insanities embrace rather than keep going. Though I will not deny that I have considered it a time or two, to be free of the burden of being hunted like a lowly beast. It is days like this that I cannot help but wonder if there is even a reason behind the existence of myself and others like me. Are we all here for a reason? Or is it that some have a reason but others are merely stains upon the very earth and the long history of the existence of man or even of vampires?_

Satsujin was beyond the point of words when he finished that short passage. 'Whoever this person is they were a deeply tortured and very pensive person.' He thought to himself as he closed his eyes for a second thinking on the time that surely this had been written. The darkest time in the history that the hunters still kept record of. When some vampires were hunted just for merely being what they were, where even children born to vampires were slaughtered without a second thought by the hunters that targeted them. Slowly opening his blue eyes Satsujin turned the page to find another entry.

_Some have come to me seeking advice, but am I really a good person to be giving it to the younger generation? Or am I just trying to atone for the lives I have taken even if they were due to me wanting to keep any harm from befalling my beloved? However today there was one who came by that intrigued me. One that is all but the self-proclaimed king of vampires, Kaname Kuran._

_Just one look at him and I saw nothing but the most pitiful creature in existence. He came to me saying he had been double crossed wishing for a way to exact revenge on the ones who had wronged him. I usually try to avoid petty squabbles but he went so far as to try and order me, like he thought I was one of his mindless followers, though I made sure I showed him the truth that his actions had consequences. I threw him out through the second story window, only feeling regret that now we have a bit of a draft._

Satsujin could not help but feel that he liked the one who had been writing in the journal because they had done what many in current times wanted to do to Kaname. To punish him for how he toyed with others and thought everyone was merely pieces on a board for his amusement.

"You are not yet to the part that tells what I am wishing for you to learn." Shizuka said in a low tone only for Satsujin to sigh and shake his head.

"I am only a few entries in and it is just detailing how Kaname came to the one who was writing this journal." Satsujin said as Shizuka nodded only to raise her pale right hand and gesture for Satsujin to continue, so he did so as he turned his eyes once again to the journal.

_Yet again today, that Kuran boy returned once again asking that I help him exact his revenge on one who has wronged him. This makes a whole month that he has returned every day, and I grow bored of his pitiful pleas for me to use my powers to help him. Though today I decided to at least hear the brat out._

_And I will admit when I heard his reasoning for wanting revenge I barely contained my laughter at his foolishness. He was wronged by a family that rivals me, the Hio's where they helped him and apparently he felt wronged when they said for him to move on past what happened when a woman he had once loved cast her life away to create the ones who are now seeking to wipe out all of us. I turned him down and he once again pleaded with me so I admit I caved and gave him what he needed to place a curse on the Hio's since it will shut up the damned pest!_

Satsujin's blue eyes went wide as he read the last part as his eyes shot up to Shizuka who was still sitting on the chair perfectly still as she merely nodded at him. Though he still felt the need to voice what he thought. "So this person was the one who placed the curse?" He asked but Shizuka shook her head.

"No, he merely granted Kaname the means to cast the curse meant to destroy the Hio family which he is close to doing since there is only myself and Ametsuki that are of actual relation in the Hio line. Maria is a distant relation so she feels some effects of the curse but nowhere near the extent of Ametsuki and myself." Shizuka said in a sad tone.

"Then we need to find him and get him to reverse it!" Satsujin said in obvious worry because of how to him Ametsuki was the daughter he would never have due to how even when they had been two different species, he had always loved her as a daughter.

Shizuka look to the side with a slightly annoyed look on her face. "I doubt that man would do it, even though Ametsuki is part of his own family." She said as she then turned her pink gaze to Satsujin to see him in a state of shock as she stood. "Yes, he is her paternal grandfather, the father of Kiyoshi Hoshioko, Uryu Hoshioko." She said as she walked toward Satsujin. "Even with his wife having the ability to see the future…" she said shaking her head only to walk out of the room as Satsujin dropped the book and ran after her, neither noticing the entry that the book had fallen open to.

/

Ametsuki sat curled up on the couch of the room that she and Hanabusa had been in since he had arrived as she was beyond happy to have him back by her side as she could not help but smile as she snuggled closer to him. "Will you stay with me forever?" she asked in a whisper as she shifted to look at him since he was laying behind her on the couch holding her in his arms.

At hearing her gentle voice, Hanabusa opened his blue eyes and looked to the girl in his arms as he smiled at her and even shifted to get her to shift to face him as the two of them remained on the couch. "Forever and always." Hanabusa said before leaning down closer as his lips gently met Ametsuki's in a gentle kiss, something that had Ametsuki beyond happy.

/

Ichiru lay on the couch in his room, idly reading a book since he had been relieved of his duties a short while before, so at the moment he was avoiding everyone all due to how he was having odd thoughts about Ametsuki since seeing her passionately kiss Hanabusa. 'Is he really deserving of her?' Ichiru thought to himself as he stared at the same paragraph of the book he was in the process of trying to read. 'Wouldn't she be happier with me?' Ichiru thought as he soon gave up only to lower the book so that it was inches from the ground in his limp hand that was hanging over the edge of the couch. 'Would we be happy if we were together?' he thought as he could not help but imagine their life together, one that would be constant pain for Ametsuki due to how he was a human and she was a pure blood princess, and the niece of his first mistress.

"Why did I have to be cursed to be born as a human!" Ichiru growled as he dropped the book only to bunch up on the couch in pure frustration. "Why won't Shizuka change me into a vampire when she knows that is what I desire? And she won't even let Ametsuki…but why!" he said as he grabbed the pillow on the couch and held it close to his chest only to bury his face against it as he let out a sigh of frustration. "All I want is her…" he mumbled only for there to be a knock at the door. "One second." He said as he tossed the pillow to the other side of the couch as he got up and rushed over to the door and opened it only for his lavender eyes to widen at the sight before him. Ametsuki! "Is something wrong? I thought you would be with Aidou for the rest of the evening." He said but Ametsuki shook her head at Ichiru looking like she was a little upset.

"May I come in?" she asked as Ichiru nodded and stepped to the side to let Ametsuki enter before shutting the door as she had turned to look back at him. "He only ever wanted me for my blood, he never really loved me!" Ametsuki said in a hurt tone which beyond confused Ichiru. All due to how not long before he had witnessed the pair in a loving embrace.

"How is that? I thought what you wanted was him to be here so that you could save him." Ichiru said as he was fighting getting his hopes up that he may still have a chance to be with the princess before him.

"I thought that was what I wanted, but after he fed from me he only led me on and then he said all I was good for was to be a tasty meal for him or other vampires that crave the blood of a pureblood." Ametsuki said as she stepped closer to Ichiru and leaned against him bringing her hands up resting on his chest.

"You are not, you are a perfect being." Ichiru said bringing his arms up around Ametsuki. "The most precious one that I have ever known." He said only for Ametsuki to shake her head showing she doubted his words, so out of desperation he leaned back out of the embrace ever so slightly only to bring up his hand and catch her delicate chin between his thumb and pointer finger to angle her face up that cerulean met lavender. "I will prove it to you, that you are not just some source of food, but one who is loved." Ichiru said as he saw a faint blush find its way onto Ametsuki's face before he leaned down only for his lips to soon meet hers.

At first it was a shy kiss, as it had caught both of them by surprise before Ichiru felt more adventurous in his wish to show his princess that she was treasured by him. His lips parted as his tongue slipped through to lightly tickle at her lips which soon parted to allow him to deepen the kiss. A surge ran through him as he moved his hand from her chin down to encircle holding her closer as the kiss deepened…

However a moment later Ichiru's eyes opened to find himself in his room as he sat up shaking his head unable to fully comprehend how he could have dreamt about Ametsuki in such a way. 'What the hell is wrong with me!' He thought to himself as he brought his right hand up to rest on his forehead, slightly pushing some of his silver hair from his eyes.

"Unable to sleep, Ichiru?" a voice asked from the door as Ichiru glanced to see that it was his twin brother, Zero.

"What makes you think that, Zero?" Ichiru asked as he lowered his hand from his head only to watch as Zero walked in only to lean against the frame near the foot of the bed.

"You and I know each other well enough to tell when the other is not themselves, and that look on your face now says it all. That something is weighing on you." Zero said as in truth in the last year he and Ichiru had been gradually with not very much luck tried to patch their broken relationship, something that was highly encouraged by both Yuki and Ametsuki.

_Not too long after Ametsuki had awakened, she had all but shut herself in her room upon arriving back at the estate due to her being sad about how she had to part ways with Hanabusa, and it was during this time Ichiru had gone to check on her. He stood outside of her room knocking for a few moments before he grabbed the handle only to push open the door and glance inside. "Lad…Ametsuki?" he asked as he was still getting used to not calling her by a formal title when it was just the two of them._

"_Yes?" Ametsuki asked as she appeared among the lace drapes around the balcony door as Ichiru could tell from the gleam and the glow of her face that she had been crying almost non-stop._

_Ichiru cautiously walked into the room only to slowly approach the young princess as he stood before her only to reach out and gently wipe away the tear trails from her face. "You really should not cry." He said in a soft tone only for Ametsuki to shake her head._

"_I know that I am not supposed to, but it just makes the pain even more unbearable knowing that I cannot be with the one that I love." She said as Ichiru could not help but wish for something he could do to make things better. Some way to take her pain and allow her to no longer know this suffering. "If I am not allowed to shed tears then that is one of the worst punishments imaginable…" she whispered only for Ichiru to give her a sympathetic smile._

"_It only feels that way because of how you are still adjusting to being the one you were born to be, the pure blood princess of your family." Ichiru said only to see more pain on her face at the mention of her title. "I-I did not mean to upset you further." He said worried that his words might lead to her crying more. "I was just wishing to help you by assuring you that in time things will get better." He said as Ametsuki smiled, though something about the smile did not seem genuine, it was almost forced._

"_You are so lucky to have someone who would do anything for you, Ichiru." Ametsuki said as it seemed almost out of the blue to Ichiru, but he realized quickly that she was wishing to change the subject. "Though why is it that the two of you do not get along?" she asked since she only knew that her aunt had killed Zero and Ichiru's parents for killing her lover and in that same attack she had turned Zero into a vampire but kept Ichiru human._

"_I guess it is because of how we have different views of things now, and the damage is done so there is nothing that can change that now we are enemies." Ichiru said but Ametsuki shook her head at him._

"_There is always a way to rekindle a relationship." She said with the same strained smile. "And you should not so willingly throw away such a powerful relationship as the one with your brother." She said before she turned away and walked closer to the balcony. "For that I am jealous of you since you have a sibling." She said as she looked up at the crescent moon overhead._

Though Ichiru pushed that thought from his mind as he could not help but wonder if there was even anything to save with his relationship with his twin brother or not. All due to how as kids Zero had been the only one to see Ichiru as a person rather than a burden, at least that was how Ichiru had always seen it. More so due to how Ichiru had been born weaker and had been seen as one who would not be of any use to the hunters association.

"Ichiru?" Zero asked due to how Ichiru had gone silent for a few minutes while seeming to be lost in his own thoughts.

"What?" Ichiru asked as he stood from his bed only to head toward the door before he heard his brother speak.

"You know if we do not at least try to patch things up that we will have to deal with Yuki and Ametsuki taking it into their own hands. And I do not know about you, but I would rather not face the wrath of those two put together." He said as Ichiru could not help but chuckle.

"You might be worried about facing it, but I would welcome it since those two can get into so much mischief when they work together at something." Ichiru said showing he thought the idea of it was just amusing. "That and I know full well, but at the same time I am not exactly ready to fully try to reform our relationship, and I doubt you are either after what happened when we were kids." Ichiru said in reference to how Zero had been on the ground bleeding while their parents were already dead while Ichiru had been smiling at the mere sight of the blood and death before him.

Zero could only nod at his brother as he agreed, maybe it was still a little too even try to force things to be fixed between the two of them. "We will just take it one step at a time then." Zero said casually before leaning away from the frame of the bed walking out, leaving Ichiru alone.

/

It was close to sunset the following night when a figure showed up at the gates, though he was not a level E like all of the other mindless beings who seemed to be common callers to this place. A place that the person had once thought would forever stand as a tomb to his late beloved wife, and to his son who had been his pride and joy. That and of his gentle daughter in law and darling granddaughter. Though in recent times he had heard that there was life within this old estate once again, and that the princess of his family had made a return, something he thought he would see for himself.

He had planned to do so at the soiree before, but he had other matters to see to, mostly visiting the place where he saw as grave markers for his deceased family, all but his dishonorable son who had tried to regain grace in the older vampires eyes through gaining an arranged marriage between his son and the princess of the family.

Though now he was walking up toward the gates of the estate, as any and all level E's that were in a fifteen foot radius around the older vampire shattered turning to dust as he passed. His long white hair fell down past his shoulder blades as part of his hair in the front fell down across his right eye but his left showed that he carried the steel colored eyes of his other grandchildren, as the cerulean eyes he had seen his granddaughter had inherited were from his late wife and had been their son, Kiyoshi's eyes as well.

Pushing that thought from his mind he continued up toward the gate as his black pants and shirt hugged his form showing that despite his advanced age, he still had the build and appearance of one in their youth thanks to his vampire blood coursing through him. Though upon approaching the gate it opened allowing him entry only to shut behind him as he heard it lock and seal back shut to insure no level E's were able to get through. 'At least they have maintained the place fairly well.' He thought to himself as he walked to the front door only to let himself in.

**A/N**: I am so sorry this update is late. I have been swamped with various things going on but I hope to have another chapter up by the end of the month. However it will just depend with how much time I can get to write between now and Thanksgiving next week. Though I want to say a very grateful and special thanks to Myra K Kuran for reviewing each and every chapter of this story and a great number of chapters of the previous story. Until next time.


	9. Chapter Eight: First Encounters

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Eight: First Encounters**

Ametsuki slowly sat up as dusk approached only to look back over her shoulder to see that Hanabusa had fallen asleep on the couch behind her, something that brought a smile to her face as she shifted only to be sitting normally on the couch as she could not help but think that soon he would have to leave to go back home. 'Or is there a way for him to stay here with me? Where he can be safe and never run the risk of him slipping close to madness again because of my selfishness?' she thought as she stood and walked over to the window only to get an odd feeling. Someone had entered the grounds.

/

The male stood in the entry of the large estate as he glanced around not even paying much mind to anything, or the female who approached from the shadows. Though when his one visible steel colored hue fell on her he showed no emotion what-so-ever. Though when his lips parted allowing his voice to pass through, his voice was deep and revealed that he was much older than Shizuka. "The insane princess, Shizuka Hio." He said in a near mocking tone. "I am surprised you would seek refuge here of all places." He walked closer but Shizuka remained where she was watching the male closely.

"I am here trying to raise my niece." Shizuka said in a neutral tone fully ignoring the fact that the older vampire had called her his own version of the name she had been known by ever since her massacre of the Kiryu family. "Though what brings you here, Uryu?" she asked as the male only smirked at her.

"I am here to take my granddaughter." Uryu said as though it were obvious and in a tone that showed that he was serious. For he had come to either stay here and have a hand in raising the young princess of his family or to take her with him, even if by force.

Shizuka gave him an annoyed look as she soon shrugged away that look only to chuckle. "You may find that hard to do, because she is happy here, and it is her choice if she wants you in her life after what you did to screw it up from the very beginning." She said only for Uryu to step closer and strike Shizuka across the face as she did not lift a hand to oppose him since she was now seen as nothing more than a guest in the estate instead of being the matriarch as the oldest member of the mismatched family.

"Where is she?" Uryu asked only for Shizuka to shake her head before he walked away up the stairs only for Shizuka to follow him. "Have you told her about the curse that is on her?" he asked as he walked up the stairs since he figured he would at least catch up on what all was going on by asking Shizuka before he made his decision on things.

"There has been no need to tell her, I would prefer her to just be happy, as she is right now." Shizuka said only for Uryu to stop while he was walking as she looked toward him with a shocked look on his face.

"Are you really that stupid? There is no way for her to find happiness without it being shattered due to the curse unless she knows how to combat it." Uryu said in pure frustration at the woman standing only a few feet away from him.

"She has already started to weaken the curse without even realizing it. All thanks to the love she has found in another who is currently with her." Shizuka said as she stepped closer. "So why not let things run their course?" she asked only for Uryu to shake his head at her as he seemed to almost growl in frustration.

"She cannot live in ignorance and expect the curse to just be broken." He said as he turned and started up the stairs again, only this time it was at a much faster pace as he reached the top of the large staircase in less than a second and was on his way down the hall as Shizuka moved to keep up. "I will shatter this illusion of happiness you have formed once I find out more on what is going on." Uryu said as he continued down the hall, ignoring each protest from Shizuka since to him she was a nuisance and was of no use in freeing his granddaughter from the curse.

It did not take long for Uryu to reach the room where he could all but sense that there were two inside, and one that shared his blood. Without even a knock the door flew open as he neared it as he stood in the door way looking at the young girl standing in the pale fading light that was filtering through the vast window that was open behind her as the lace curtains shifted in the light breeze blowing them about the one that he knew instantly could be none other than the princess of the Hoshioko family, his granddaughter Ametsuki. She had the eyes of his late wife, Hikari. So gentle that it seemed as though he might be drawn into them. Yet at the same time he could see she inherited the all but frail physic of the Hio women, something that he remembered very well from his late daughter in law. Though at the moment the young girl stood across the room just watching him closely with confusion evident in her eyes that seemed to all but carry their own light.

"Who are you?" Ametsuki asked as she remained where she was as her white dress that she was wearing seemed to dance in the air around her knees as she kept her eyes on Uryu.

Though Uryu pushed aside the fact that he could see so much of his beloved Hikari in the child before him, it was almost like seeing his late wife alive again in some aspects. Though at that thought a memory flashed before his eyes of Hikari when their marriage had been approaching its end even though he did not know it at the time.

Though Uryu soon shook his head ever so slightly as he closed his eyes. He decided to distance himself from such thoughts, since they were far too painful for him even though so much time had passed. Though once he was finished shaking his head to clear his mind he opened them looking at his waiting granddaughter. "I am Uryu Hoshioko, your grandfather on your father's side." Uryu said figuring to get right to the point as he walked over closer to her only for Shizuka to rush to her side and even go so far as to pull Ametsuki behind her as though trying to shield her from Uryu. "Out of the way, Shizuka." Uryu said in an annoyed tone.

"I do not think I will because right now you wish to shatter her happiness, and that is something I will not allow." Shizuka said but Uryu merely chuckled at her as he soon saw one he recognized as the son of Aidou rushing over behind Shizuka to Ametsuki and even see a bit of them embracing one another. "As you can see she is happy which should be enough for you or anyone that is family to her." Shizuka said in a challenging tone but in that second Uryu struck Shizuka across the face knocking her to the ground several feet away before he stepped toward Ametsuki and grabbed her and pulled her away from Hanabusa whom he struck in the same fashion as Shizuka.

"I will not allow her to live in the ignorance that you have permitted to this point." Uryu said in a low tone toward Shizuka before he turned and dragged Ametsuki away from the room as she was struggling trying to force his iron grip on her small wrist to lessen or for him to fully release her.

"Let go!" Ametsuki ordered as she was trying to get her hand free but her grandfather refused to release her as he soon dragged her into the library and shoved her inside while releasing her only to step in and shut the door behind himself, locking it at the same time. "What do you want? You may be my grandfather but that does not give you a right to act this way!" Ametsuki said in pure frustration as she glared up at Uryu with her hands clenched into fists down by her sides.

"It is time you fully awaken from the delusion that Shizuka has fought so hard to keep you in, even since the seals and spells on you were broke before." Uryu said as he stepped closer as he knew that in doing this it would release a memory that he himself had locked away from Ametsuki when she had only been a small child which he was sure in that same moment it would either not phase the Aidou boy or it might set a chain reaction and free the memory within him as well. Though he figured it was best for him to go ahead and do it as he was before Ametsuki and grabbed her pinning her arms at her side as he leaned down as his own fangs became pronounced as he sank them deep into his granddaughters neck as she gasped in shock while her cerulean eyes were wide only for her to go mute as she was staring into thin air. After a brief moment she went limp as Uryu removed his fangs from her as saw the bite marks heal over fairly quickly as her cerulean eyes closed only for him to move her over to the large couch and gently place her down on it.

/

Back in the guest room Hanabusa got up from the floor and went over to Shizuka as the door opened to reveal Satsujin, Ichiru, Zero, Yuki and Maria. Though before anyone could move, Hanabusa spoke. "Someone came in and took Ametsuki somewhere." He said only for Zero, Yuki and Maria to turn around and go search through the house and the grounds to find where she was since despite the man, Uryu, being a relative he had been hostile toward her and dragged her out of the room against her will.

"He will have taken her to the study more than likely." Shizuka said as she stood only for Ichiru to step closer and offer her a hand to help insure that she was steady only for her to shake her head and start walking. Satsujin and Ichiru had gone to follow her with Hanabusa close behind until Hanabusa felt as though he was slammed over the head with something.

"Ack!" Hanabusa said as he swayed only to fall against the wall trying to support himself only for the others to stop and look back at him with questioning looks. Though his eyes seemed distant as he looked at them before the closed and Hanabusa fell to the floor in a heap as Ichiru rushed over to him to make sure he was alright.

"He is fine." Ichiru said after a moment of making sure there was still a pulse and that Hanabusa was still breathing.

"Stay here with him and when he comes back around meet us at the study." Shizuka ordered before she turned and kept on her way to the study with Satsujin right behind her.

/

_Ametsuki felt herself falling through darkness, a sensation that she was all too familiar with due to how she had spent a good amount of time the year before regaining her memories in such a fashion. She started to feel cold as she soon realized it was originating from a spot on her neck where her grandfather had sank his fangs into her, something that beyond confused her since it seemed that almost every vampire she met wished to sink their fangs into her for one reason or another. Though she knew deep down it was due to her being a pure blood and how lower ranked vampires wished to gain the power that she carried and could be granted through drinking her blood and then strengthened by her in turn sinking her fangs into the one who had already fed from her. Though it was not long before she was upright only for her feet to meet solid ground and the room that she recognized as the study appeared before her as she was seeing something in the form of a memory her grandfather had apparently transferred to her through biting her._

_Uryu sat in the study along with his wife, Hikari. A beautiful woman with hair as black as the ravens that she always favored, and eyes that shone of the most beautiful cerulean that he had ever seen in his life. Though just the mere presence of his beloved distracted him from the book he was trying to read as he looked toward her to see that she was sneaking glances at him in almost a flirting fashion as she smiled shyly at him at having been caught in her looking at him. "You know that I can see you smiling behind your book, darling." He said as he put his down only to stand and walk over toward her as he looked down at her with his single steel hue that was visible due to the white hair falling over his right eye._

_Hikari laughed lightly as she lowered her book only to smile up at her husband who reached out only to cup her face in his hand. "I know." She whispered after a moment in response to how he had said he had seen her looking at him from behind her own book. "Though I thought I might try to get away with a few glances at you." She said only for her to go silent as her cerulean eyes seemed to cloud over._

"_Hikari?" Uryu said in worry as he knelt before his wife as she seemed to only be distant for a moment before she looked at him with horror in her eyes. "What is wrong?" Uryu asked as he knew at times she was prone to visions of things that may or were destined to happen._

"_You giving the means to curse the Hio family…it has damned our own granddaughter that will be born with Hio blood in her…" Hikari said as Uryu's steel hue was wide in shock._

"_What do you mean? Neither Kiyoshi nor Yukiro are interested in anyone from that line! So how would it-"_

"_The Hio's are damned to never know or find happiness." Hikari said in a panic as she stood and rushed over to the window. "But there is a way to break the curse you put into place." She said as she could hear her husband approaching her only for her to turn and look toward her husband with a near frantic expression. "She will be born the child of Kiyoshi and a daughter of the Hio family, at a young age she will meet the one she is destined to be with. Should she be able to find happiness in the company of that one, and if they should express pure love toward one another by the last stroke of midnight signaling her coming of age then the curse will be broken, but should she fail, then she and all remaining of the line will fall into darkness never to see the light again."_

Ametsuki remained asleep as Uryu continued to watch her knowing that she was seeing things through his eyes but also as a bystander. "I am sorry that you had to learn the burden that I carry in such a way, but you will be coming into your inheritance soon and your birthright and as one who carries my blood and the blood of a cursed family you hold the key." He whispered as he reached out shifting some of Ametsuki's hair out of her face thinking once again how he could see so much of his late wife in the young girl that was his grandchild.

_Ametsuki had seen the scene before her shatter as she was falling through darkness again as she tried to call out to her aunt but nothing happened. 'What! Why did it not work! Any time I did so before she has always come.' She thought as she was falling only to hear a voice, one she recognized as the voice of her grandfather only for her to stop falling and find herself at the Aidou villa._

"_Of course you do realize that you did overstep your boundry, Nagamichi." Uryu said as he sat before him on a patio with a satisfied look on his face at seeing how the one before him was all but squirming at the thought of having stepped out of bound for behavior toward a pureblood. "Though seeing as how it is my granddaughters birthday today." He said with a smirk on his face. "I guess I could be lenient for the time being, more so since you offered to be the one to host such a grand event to celebrate her." Uryu said as he held out his hand only for a three year old version of Ametsuki to come over from where she had been hiding behind a small tree that was to the side of where the adults had been talking. She was wearing a long sleeve frilly pink dress that hung down to her ankles along with matching slippers._

"_O-of course, Lord Hoshioko. If you will permit it, I will go to see to the final preparations." Nagamichi said as Uryu did a slight wave of his hand dismissing the head of the Aidou family only to reach out and pick up his young granddaughter before standing and heading inside. _

"_I told you to wait upstairs in the room set up for you, that I would be up soon unless your parents came to get you." Uryu said as he walked back inside since there was a faint chill in the air and he did not wish for his young granddaughter to be exposed to the cold. _

"_But I want to play." The young princess said as she smiled sweetly at her grandfather._

"_That may be, but at the moment, we need to finish preparations for the party." Uryu said with a smile as he knew he could never deny his granddaughter anything. "Though why don't I leave you to play with Tsukiko." He offered since the daughter of the Aidou family was not too much younger than Ametsuki._

"_Okay, but we play later?" she asked as Uryu nodded before carrying his granddaughter to a vast room where a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes was playing as he put Ametsuki down but the girl avoided being near Ametsuki even after Uryu left, something that upset the young princess. "Why you not want to play?" Ametsuki asked only for Tsukiko to shake her head._

"_I don't want to play with you." Tsukiko said before she rushed from the room since there was something about the pureblood that didn't seem right, so she figured put as much distance as she could between her and the princess._

_However her doing that had led to Ametsuki watching her leave only for the large door to the room to shut with near a deafening slam to Ametsuki. 'Why did she not want to play? Did I do something wrong?' Ametsuki thought to herself only for her to begin crying as she brought her tiny pale hands up to her face and buried her face in her hands._

_/_

_Hanabusa found himself in his room at the villa as he glanced around finding it odd that things were so different, but after a moment he realized why. This was how his room had been when he had been a kid of around five. 'What is this?' he thought to himself as he glanced around only to see a younger version of himself sitting on his bed wearing a formal suit. 'When was this?' he thought to himself before a soft sound met his ears along with the ears of his younger self. That of someone crying. Before Hanabusa could go toward the door his younger self had slid from the bed and ran toward the door and opened it heading down the hall as the older Hanabusa followed him._

_While walking down the hall Hanabusa looked around with his wide eyes as he was trying to figure where the crying was coming from, only to notice it was coming from the playroom, something that made him wonder if Tsukiko had broken one of her toys by accident again or if she was just upset that he was not playing with her. Though it was not his fault, his father had said he was not to mess up his suit due to how they were having very important guests over, and that they should already be there. As he neared the door there was no denying that there was someone crying inside, so Hanabusa reached up only to push open the door to see a young girl there with long white hair in a pink dress._

"_Um…hello?" Hanabusa said as he walked into the room only for the door to shut behind him as the soft sound seemed to have startled the girl due to how she jumped at the soft sound before she looked up at him with tears in her eyes and falling down her pale face. Though seeing the girl's face caused Hanabusa's heart to skip a beat because of how she had a perfect angel like face with eyes the most stunning shade of cerulean that seemed to be glistening in the light of the room. "I…uh…" Hanabusa started as he felt a crimson tint to his face due to him blushing a bit at how the younger girl's eyes were locked on him. "Are you alright?" he asked as he felt silly asking such a question but it was the only thing he could get to come out that even began to make sense._

_Ametsuki had watched Hanabusa as he seemed to be beyond nervous in her presence, something she did not understand due to how as far as she knew she was just an ordinary girl, failing to realize that in truth she was of higher standing and even dressed to look as such. Though after a second she continued to wipe the tears from her eyes and face before she spoke. "Yes, I was just sad because no one ever wants to play with me." She said showing that she was fairly well versed despite her young age._

_Hanabusa gave Ametsuki a surprised look as he soon regained his composure only to smile at her. "I will, if you want me to." He said as he looked at her almost shyly but that seemed to shatter the second he saw what he thought was the most beautiful smile on Ametsuki's face, something he took as the confirmation that she did wish for him to play with her, a wish he would happily grant for her. "Oh, my name is Hanabusa, what is yours?" he asked as he bowed slightly even though he knew nothing of how the girl before him was the pureblood princess that his father was hosting the party for._

_Ametsuki was beyond happy at the fact that someone wished to play with her as she blushed a little as Hanabusa bowed to her only to introduce himself as she rested her hands down at her sides only to lift up the sides of her pink dress ever so slightly as she curtsied. "It is nice to meet you, Hanabusa. My name is…" she never got to finish the sentence due to how her mother, Lady Sachi had opened the door and stepped in wearing her usual pale pink yukata with a pale yellow obi around her waist. "Mommy!" Ametsuki said as she let her dress fall back down only for her to run over to Sachi who knelt down and held her arms open for Ametsuki not realizing that Hanabusa was looking on in shock._

'_She called Lady Sachi 'mommy' which means…' he thought to himself before he felt the gentle pink hues of Sachi on him only for him to bow once again to show respect to the pureblood. Though while he was bowing he thought to himself. 'That means that is princess Ametsuki.' Hanabusa thought as he straightened. "Please excuse me Lady Sachi, Princess Ametsuki." Hanabusa said only to go from the room scolding himself mentally at how he had not realized that the girl was the one who was the guest of honor at the party that was in the final stages of preparation._

/

_Sachi had carried Ametsuki back to the room that was set up as a room to get her ready for the party that night in honor of her third birthday as she sat Ametsuki down before a mirror only to pick up a brush from the dresser as she started to run the brush through her daughter's long hair before she started to put it up slightly with some still cascading down Ametsuki's back. Though as she finished there was a knock at the door as Sachi had a smile on her face as the door opened to reveal a tall male with slightly grown out white hair and eyes like Ametsuki's but a bit harder._

"_Daddy!" Ametsuki said as she hopped down from the chair and ran over to Kiyoshi who knelt and once Ametsuki slammed into him he brought his arms around her and held her in a firm hug. "You are late!" Ametsuki said with a laugh only to lean back from Kiyoshi who had a shocked look on his face at the attempt at a stern look his daughter had on her face._

"_I am sorry if I made you wait." He said as Ametsuki smiled before kissing her father on the cheek._

"_It okay." She said only for her mother to walk over as Kiyoshi stood after fully removing his arms from around his daughter to hug and kiss Sachi only for Ametsuki to notice something sticking out of her daddy's pocket. "What is that?" she asked only for Kiyoshi to seem surprised before laughing nervously._

"_I thought I hid that more than that." He said pulling it out to reveal it was a small box with an extravagant looking wrapping paper around the small box. "But I guess since you already spotted it." He said holding it out to Ametsuki who smiled up at her daddy. "Happy birthday, my little princess." He said as Ametsuki took the box only to proceed to open it under the loving eyes of her parents. Though it was not long before she found that it was a Japanese style hair pin. Hanging from the end of the silver pin was a crystal shaped like a moon and another one that was a light aqua color in the shape of a rain drop. "It might be a bit grown up for you, but I thought it would be a good keep sake that matches with your name." Kiyoshi said as Ametsuki smiled up at him due to how her parents had both always told her that her name translated to rainmoon._

"_I love it!" Ametsuki said as she hugged her father's leg due to how she was still so small. Though a second later Sachi knelt down and lightly took the hair pin only to gently place it in Ametsuki's hair._

/

Uryu continued to stand beside his granddaughter who was still all but unconscious lost in the memory as he could not help but wonder if it was the right thing to do in returning that memory to her as well as allowing her to see the truth of the curse that she was under. 'I am so sorry that the curse I helped to place has found its way to a head inside of you.' He thought to himself as he looked down at Ametsuki as he saw a single tear find its way from the corner of her right eye only for him to reach out and gently catch it on his index finger before observing it closely for a second only to flick it away just as he heard footsteps approaching. 'Woman is more determined to keep Ametsuki in the dark than I thought.' He mused to himself only for the door to be forced open a second later as his steel hue fell on Shizuka and a male he did not recognize but he could tell it was the one he had heard about. A former human vampire that was almost always by the side of his granddaughter.

"Uryu, you need to stop the memories from being returned to her, she cannot handle the full truth yet!" Shizuka said as she stepped forward only for Uryu to shake his head at Shizuka due to how she was being beyond ignorant of what was best for Ametsuki.

"Too late, that was the first thing I gave to her. The memory of the curse." Uryu said as he glanced toward Ametsuki to see she was still in the memory trying to make sense of what she was seeing play out in her mind. "And I will also be restoring all of the memories you have tampered with to keep her in this state." He said as Shizuka and the male took a step toward Uryu but the older vampire was not going to allow his plan to be interrupted. The book shelves from around the room moved blocking Shizuka and Satsujin from coming any closer. "It is time for her true awakening." Uryu said as the book cases encircled Shizuka and Satsujin closing them off completely.

/

_A short while later Ametsuki was walking from the room with her parents as she was holding both of her parent's hands while walking between the two of them smiling due to how she loved spending time with the two of them. Though as they approached a vast room that was full of people, the man she had seen talking to her grandfather approached and bowed to the family only to straighten._

"_Lord Kiyoshi, Lady Sachi." He said in a kind tone before looking to Ametsuki as he bowed again as Ametsuki remained where she was between her parents. Sure she was shy but her father had said that she would need to stay where she could be seen during this so she did as she had been told by her father as the male before her spoke. "And Princess Ametsuki." He said before straightening. "May I be the first of all of us gathered to wish you a very happy birthday, princess." He said as Ametsuki merely smiled since she was not sure how to respond at the moment._

_Though it was at that point that her grandfather, Uryu, approached as the male who had been speaking to her rushed to move to the side as Uryu smiled down at his granddaughter as she was smiling ear to ear up at him. She truly was a beautiful child in his eyes. "Enjoy yourself, my granddaughter." He said as he held out his hand to her as she released her parents hands and walked over to her grandfather and placed her pale hand in his as he turned toward those gathered who were all bowing to one who rivaled the Kuran's in power, and the young princess that was beside him._

_However Uryu then led his small granddaughter over to a man with brown hair that was grown out slightly into his gentle brown almost wine colored eyes wearing a black tux, and beside him was a woman with grown out hair that matched the male beside her but it hung down in and about her face and even in her eyes that matched the male in color. Between the two of them was a young boy who was all but the mirror image of the male behind him. "Lord Haruka, Lady Juri." Uryu said as Haruka and Juri smiled at him. "I am glad the two of you could make it." He said as Ametsuki was standing almost shy beside her grandfather as she almost wished that she had stayed with her parents instead._

"_Of course, it was an honor for you to invite us, Lord Uryu." Haruka said as Juri knelt down to get closer to Ametsuki's height only for the young princess to inch closer to her grandfather who only seemed to find amusement as did Haruka. All the while Juri was smiling at Ametsuki with a kind sincere smile while Kaname was staring at her with wide wine colored eyes._

"_You must be princess Ametsuki?" Juri asked as Ametsuki shyly nodded at Juri only for Uryu to remove his hand from hers and nudge her on the back ever so slightly, something that caused Ametsuki to look up at her grandfather with wide curious cerulean eyes. Though it was not more than a few seconds before her focus went back to Juri due to her speaking. "She is a bit shy, isn't she?" Juri asked smiling at Ametsuki as Uryu spoke from beside his young granddaughter._

"_Yes she is, but that is because this is only the second time she has been outside the grounds of the Hoshioko estate." He said explaining before he seemed to think of something as he continued speaking. "Why don't you go dance with Lord Kaname?" Uryu suggested giving his granddaughter a gentle nudge towards young Kaname who smiled sweetly at her and held out his hand. It was a brief second before Ametsuki reached out placing her hand in Kaname's after he bowed ever so slightly to her only to straighten and hold her hand gently in his own. However Uryu had noticed an odd look in Kaname's eyes, but he figured he would allow this to happen since the two were bound to meet at one point so it was best to do it when that monster could not do anything to harm Ametsuki._

/

Kaname lounged on his bed in one of the guest rooms of the Kurai estate as he was reading a book with near no interest in the printed words before him. 'Things are moving so slow, but then again there is no hurry due to how there is no way that girl will be able to break the curse so long as she remains in the dark.' Kaname thought to himself with an amused smirk playing at his lips only for something to hit him as his wine colored eyes widened ever so slightly for a second as a scene played out before his eyes. That of him with a younger version of Ametsuki. Though after a moment he cleared his head as he shook his head ever so slightly as he moved the book to his side letting it fall limp from his hand to rest on the thick blanket on the bed before he walked over to the large window staring out at the night sky.

'That's right. I met her for the first time that night along with Haruka and Juri.' He thought as he stared at the night sky before his focus went to on his reflection as though he was studying himself searching for something. 'But why did I forget?' he wondered to himself trying to remember more of the memory that had suddenly returned to him.

/

_Kaname led Ametsuki out to the dance floor as both could hear the whispering of adults from nearby. All of them seemed to be focused on one thing, the fact that the next head of the Kuran family, a family that was like royalty even though the monarch was no longer the established power of vampire society, and the princess of a family that equaled the Kuran's were walking hand in hand._

"_Lord Kaname with Princess Ametsuki?!"_

"_Yes. See there!"_

"_But I heard the princess is already betrothed."_

"_Yes, to her cousin Kal."_

"_Such a shame."_

"_She really should be wed to someone like Lord Kaname."_

"_Yes, but it seems that Lord Uryu decided the matter a while ago."_

_Though once the young pair made it to the center of the dance floor, Kaname turned to face Ametsuki as he gave her a kind smile before positioning her hand on his shoulder as one of his went to her waist before he took her free hand in his own as the small orchestra to the side of the dance floor began to play. At which point Kaname gave a smile as he started to lead the young princess in a waltz while everyone in the room continued to watch, but the pair were doing their best to tune out what was being said by the adults._

/

Kaname closed his eyes in thought for a brief moment as he thought on the memory that was returning to him more and more with each passing second. It was almost strange due to how he had forgotten something like that. Sure he had always known or felt that he had met Ametsuki before when he realized that she was actually the princess that was thought to have perished alongside her parents the night the Hoshioko's had been attacked by Yukiro.

'Things have gotten so much more interesting since I have a feeling that Uryu has come back into the game.' Kaname thought to himself with a smirk. All due to how Uryu had been the one to aid him in placing the curse on the Hio's and had in turn damned his own grandchild that had yet to even be thought of to a life of nothing but misery, never to know happiness unless it was short lived before it was ripped away from her. 'And when she is forced to marry Kal she will have to turn her back on her own happiness which will in turn destroy her along with Shizuka.' He thought with a hint of happiness due to how sure Maria was a distant relative but she would be dealt with in time due to how she was so weak.

/

Hanabusa remained on the floor as Ichiru was still beside him, even though Hanabusa was not aware all due to how he had lost consciousness. Within his mind, the events of the night he had actually met Ametsuki were playing out in vivid detail, from when he had first found her crying to him fleeing from her upon discovering who she was and then how he had been to the side of the dance floor.

/

_Hanabusa stood to the side of the dance floor as he was avoiding his sister who kept badmouthing the one they had both found to be the pureblood princess who was being celebrated in this extravagant party. He found what his sister had been saying to be beyond offensive. Sure he did not care much for Kaname, but there was something far gentler about the princess that he found almost irresistible, and he saw it even more so with how Lord Kaname was dancing with the one Hanabusa saw as an angel. He wished from the bottom of his heart that he had been born of higher standing to be one worthy of being in the presence of Princess Ametsuki. 'Why do I feel this way about her, and why does it seem stronger when I look at her?' he wondered to himself as he was trying to make sense of his own emotions as he watched the two purebloods out on the dance floor dance with one another. 'She does not look that happy dancing with Lord Kaname…' Hanabusa mused to himself as he found he did not blame her, because he really did hate the male pureblood._

_However it was not long before more of what was being said filtered to his ears as he glanced around to see it was all the aristocrats who were able to see the young purebloods dancing. Though hearing some of the things made Hanabusa beyond furious for reasons he could not even understand due to how she was promised to another so there was no point in him feeling anything toward her. Just as he thought he had his resolve the dance ended only for the angel to be facing him and then he saw it, a smile purer than any he had ever seen graced her face as she spoke to Kaname briefly before heading over toward Hanabusa._

'_She is heading right for me!' Hanabusa thought in a near panic due to how he could feel the eyes of everyone the area resting on him since it seemed he was luring the young princess away from the only one in the vast room that was even suitable to be near her besides her family. So in a panic Hanabusa turned and ran until he was out of the large room in one of the side hallways as he slowed and kept going down the hall only to hear the door open and close again followed by the gentle sound of footfalls letting him know that someone was following him. 'Why can she not just leave me be!' he thought to himself before he heard a gentle voice call to him._

"_Wait up!" Ametsuki had called as Hanabusa froze only to look back toward her in mild surprise to see her walking to catch up to him as he quickly averted his eyes from her feeling he was not worthy enough to even look at her. Though it seemed that had upset her from what she said next. "Why won't you look at me?" she asked in a hurt tone which brought Hanabusa's eyes back to her as he saw sadness in those cerulean eyes._

"_I was trying to be respectful." He said but Ametsuki gave him a faint annoyed look._

"_How is it being respectful if you do not look at me?" she asked in near the point of a demand but as it had not been one Hanabusa looked away again._

"_For someone of my social standing to avert their eyes from one who is considered among royalty in vampire society is something seen as us giving those of your standing respect." He said only to hear the gentle footfalls again until they came to a stop. Though he still did not look toward her, that is until she had brought her tiny hands up and caught his face at his cheeks and angled his face toward her so that he was forced to look at her in a shocked manor due to how she was giving him a disapproving look while forcing him to look at her._

"_I do not care if I am of higher standing. I want you to treat me not as a pureblood princess, but as a normal girl!" she said as she gave him a look that showed that she was beyond serious about what she was saying. _

"_But-" Hanabusa started but Ametsuki cut him off by pinching his cheeks between her thumbs and pointer fingers and pulling ever so slightly on his face as Hanabusa squirmed only to start begging for her to release him only for Ametsuki to pull his face a little harder._

"_Not until you do as I request!" she said only for Hanabusa to give her beyond the point of a confused look due to how even though she was only a small child she had the power to order him to do anything yet she was saying it as a request!?_

_It was several moments before Hanabusa recovered only to once again beg for Ametsuki to release him but she still refused until he did as she asked. "Okay! Okay!" Hanabusa said frantically after a moment as he was starting to wonder if she was aiming to rip his face in half with how much she was pulling. "I will do as you requested!" he said only to see Ametsuki smile as she released his face allowing Hanabusa to reach up rubbing his face which was bright red where she had been pinching his cheeks. "Though why are you so insistent on having me treat you differently?" he asked only for Ametsuki to turn away from him with a hurt look on her face._

"_Because everyone treats me like I am delicate or that I am a possession for one to claim." Ametsuki said in a hurt tone showing that she understood a lot going on around her despite her being so young. "Even my parent's do where I am generally not allowed out of their sight, or if I am not with them then I am always to be with one of the servants at home." Ametsuki said only for Hanabusa to shake his head._

"_It is because you are still young…ow!" he said due to how Ametsuki had turned toward him and thumped him on the forehead hard enough that he stumbled back from her as she gave him an annoyed look._

"_I may be young but I can still defend myself!" she said showing Hanabusa that she was not as everyone had thought. She may look delicate but she had a strong spirit._

_Then something occurred to Hanabusa as he bowed and held out his right hand to the upset princess. "Will you give me the honor of having a dance with you, princess?" he asked only for Ametsuki to give him annoyed look as he quickly realized what he had done wrong. "I mean, Ametsuki." He corrected himself as he was graced with a sweet smile from one that he knew he would always see as his princess. Though as she stepped closer and placed her small hand in his he led her into a large room where they could be alone before leading her to the center of the room as he smiled down at her as the two positioned their hands as he kept one of her hands in his own. He knew they did not have any music but he found he did not care so long as this gesture would help her keep smiling. 'For her I will do anything.' Hanabusa thought as he started to lead her in a slow waltz to be sure she could keep up._

_Though they were allowed a short while together, what happened toward the end of their waltz came as a rush due to the doors opening and the two being forced apart as Hanabusa heard Ametsuki cry his name. He went to go toward the sound of her voice but everything went black as he felt himself falling only to feel his body hit the floor as he knew no more. Though the older Hanabusa saw what happened, that the one he now recognized as Lord Uryu had barged in only to force the two young vampires a part before using an ability to alter Hanabusa's memories before he did the same to Ametsuki who he was holding in his arms as she went limp against him._

/

Hanabusa slowly started to come around to find that Ichiru was knelt beside him, but Hanabusa paid no mind as he went to sit up before moving to get to his feet as he heard Ichiru asking if he was alright to stand only for Hanabusa to nod in response. All due to how his body was shaking with rage due to what he had seen. He had known Ametsuki far longer than he had thought, they had met as small children only for the memory to be ripped away by her grandfather. But why would he do that? Though once Hanabusa was on his feet Ichiru stood and followed him as the two headed to the study. All the while a single thought was ringing in Hanabusa's mind.

'I am going to kill Lord Uryu!'

**A/N:** So sorry this update took so long and for the changing in perspective between different characters with revealing the memories that were returned to Kaname, Ametsuki and Hanabusa. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and that no one is upset about the cliff hanger at the end. Though I will try to update soon but there is a chance it could be the second week of December before I can due to things being very busy for me at the moment. Now for a special thanks to Myra K Kuran for her reviewing every chapter and giving me wonderful feedback. Until next time.


	10. Chapter Nine: Power of a Pureblood

**Blood Oath: Destiny**

**Chapter Nine: Power of a Pureblood**

Nagamichi paced back and forth in the sitting room of the Aidou villa due to how it had been more than a day since the disappearance of his only son, Hanabusa and due to the one he had seen taking his son, he knew exactly where he was. 'That girl has gone too far! To order a servant to kidnap my son!' he thought as he knew his anger was toward one of the powerful purebloods, one with a frightening power, but he did not care. 'I will get him back!' he thought as he could sense that his niece and nephew were on their way toward the sitting room.

Out in the hall Akatsuki walked beside his cousin and one he at times saw as more than that but he knew that she would never return any feeling he may have due to the fact that she had feelings for Lord Kaname. Though he decided to push that from his thoughts as he heard his cousin, Ruka, speaking.

"Why were we summoned here again?" she asked glancing toward Akatsuki who merely shook his head. "I mean it isn't like we have been that close with Hanabusa so why would his father send for us? We should be out there looking for Lord Kaname not on a pleasant visit!" she said showing her annoyance but Akatsuki sighed ever so slightly.

"It is just for a while due to how Nagamichi sounded near desperate over the phone." Akatsuki said as he got to the door first and pushed it open to allow Ruka to enter first, something she did without even so much as a glance toward Akatsuki. Something he was beyond used to at this point as he stepped into the room and let the door close behind him with a soft click. Though it seemed the subtle sound had gotten Nagamichi's attention as he stopped and looked toward the pair. "What was so urgent?" Akatsuki asked as he looked toward the older vampire who was obviously beyond stressed about something.

Though at hearing Akatsuki, Nagamichi had looked toward his niece and nephew as he had a look of obvious relief at seeing that they had come and so quickly. It did not take long for him to explain his urgent phone call to Akatsuki. "I need the two of you to go to the Hoshioko estate because Hanabusa was kidnapped and I am certain that is where he was taken." Nagamichi said as Akatsuki got a bored look on his face and shook his head.

"Are you sure he did not just run off of his own choice?" Akatsuki asked due to how a year ago his cousin had refused to stay away from the one who had been revealed to be a pureblood princess after her awakening. "Because it is obvious from when I saw him about two months ago that is what he was wanting to do, to go and be with Lady Ametsuki." Akatsuki said as he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ruka had a very disapproving look.

However Nagamichi drew Akatsuki's full attention when he spoke again. "I know that was not the case due to how when it happened he was injured before being taken by the twin of Zero Kiryu." The older vampire said with a pure disgust for what had happened. "I do not know what happened a year ago, but I know for a fact that ever since my son got involved with the niece of Shizuka Hio, he has not been himself." Nagamichi said as Akatsuki and Ruka found that they could not help but agree due to how they had seen it happening the year before.

"So just go and bring him back?" Ruka asked after a brief silence since she figured do this and then she and Akatsuki could get back to finding Lord Kaname. She had been very upset since he had disappeared without a word the year before, something she fully blamed Ametsuki for due to how it seemed that her showing had started a chain reaction.

"Yes because I think if we can get him away from her then it might be possible to free him from whatever hold that the girl has on him." Nagamichi said not caring that him speaking in a way was disrespecting one of the rare purebloods. Though not long after that, Ruka and Akatsuki had dismissed themselves so that they could head to the Hoshioko estate since they were sure it would take a while to get through the defenses since they had both heard that there were various protections that were originally from the hunters because of how Lady Ametsuki's personal attendant was a skilled former hunter.

/

Hanabusa kept going at a fast pace to where Ichiru had to run to keep up to him, and despite Ichiru trying to voice that Hanabusa should stop, the young vampire paid no mind as he kept on course for the library which was just up ahead at this point. Once he got to the door he forced them open only to find some shelves off to the side and he could hear noises from behind them, most distinguished was the voice of Shizuka yelling from behind the shelf.

"Uryu! Do not do this! She is not yet ready to handle the full truth of what is going on!" Shizuka called from behind the shelves as there was a sound of a sword colliding with the wood which was obviously Satsujin trying to free the two of them.

However Hanabusa only vaguely heard those things as his electric blue eyes were locked on the older vampire that was standing by the couch where Ametsuki lay still in a deep sleep like state. "What did you do!" Hanabusa yelled as Uryu looked toward him faint annoyance in his expression.

"I do not feel obligated to explain this to you since the fact that you are involved is a fluke at best." Uryu said as Ichiru went to pull Hanabusa back since he figured the further away from Uryu that they were, the better it would be for Hanabusa, but it was as though Hanabusa was frozen to the spot.

"You took away our memories!" Hanabusa yelled as he clenched his fists at his side as ice seemed to form around him in the form of an icy mist. "Why did you take away the memory of us meeting as children?" he asked as Uryu gave Hanabusa a look that showed that he saw him as nothing more than an insignificant insect that was lower than dirt to him, not even worth noticing since to him Hanabusa would not be around long. Though at seeing that Uryu was not wishing to even answer, Hanabusa continued. "Was it something to do with how I am not of the same standing as her? If so that is no reason to wipe our memories like that!" Hanabusa said as some of the ice formed into sharp shards and shot at Uryu only for them to shatter before they could make contact.

"You have a lot of nerve, son of Aidou." Uryu said as he turned to fully face Hanabusa. "For you to have no fear of one who is above you, to attack me with no regard to how I can crush you with a single thought, which to me shows that you have broken the taboo." Uryu said in a low threatening tone as he glanced toward his granddaughter on the couch beside him as he thought more than ever that leaving things over the last year to happen had made things even worse.

Though in the second that Uryu had looked away, Hanabusa shrugged off Ichiru only to charge at Uryu but what happened next was almost to the point of a blur. In the second that Ichiru got shrugged off, Satsujin and Shizuka had gotten out as all three yelled for Hanabusa to stop but it was too late. Uryu did not allow Hanabusa a second to even consider the consequences of his actions but instead without even so much as blinking sent Hanabusa back slamming into the closed door as it gave way, barely slowing Hanabusa down as he then slammed into the wall opposite of the now destroyed door.

Without any hesitation Satsujin turned and rushed over to Hanabusa's limp form to find he was alright. He glanced back at Shizuka and nodded to her as he had conveyed in that small gesture that he was going to take Hanabusa somewhere so that he could rest and recover some but as he had gone to move Hanabusa he heard the voice of Uryu call after him.

"When that boy wakes, make sure he understands he is never to lift a hand against me I will not be as merciful as I was this time." Uryu said as Satsujin looked toward him and merely nodded since he knew better than to show that he still had freewill since that would give away that he had also broken the taboo by having drank from Ametsuki. Granted he had first done so when she had changed him but he had done so a few times since, and she in turn had fed from him. But pushing that thought away, Satsujin gathered up Hanabusa and rushed from sight as he took Hanabusa back to his room to put him to bed.

Though not long after that Ametsuki had started to wake as she first seemed out of it as Shizuka rushed over and Uryu allowed the woman to approach the couch to speak to Ametsuki. However the look on Ametsuki's face said it all as she did not even wait to hear what her aunt had to say but instead stood and rushed from the room before anyone could stop her only for Ichiru to rush out after her.

Shizuka had watched as Ametsuki ran out only for Ichiru to turn and run after her, as she figured he would be able to keep her out of trouble and safe. Though she could not help but think on the foolishness of the son of Aidou in the moment before due to how his actions had proven something to Uryu and would only serve to make things worse. More so in him attacking one of the oldest vampires known to still exist. One that had been around since vampires had first started to appear, a pureblood lord unlike any other. Where not even she would aim to match wits with him because she knew her limit and did not wish to leave her beloved niece in the hands of Uryu who seemed to only have the thoughts of destruction with what he had done. For in Shizuka's eyes, Ametsuki had not been anywhere near ready for what he had shown her, since she was sure part of it had been the fact that the women of the Hio family were cursed.

Uryu had ignored the damage he had done in sending away the son of Aidou but once everyone was out of the room besides him and Shizuka he walked over to his old desk and leaned against it facing the younger vampire. "You are angry with me?" he asked in a tone showing he did not care even if she was.

"You already know the answer to that." Shizuka said in a low tone as she gave Uryu an annoyed look.

"Because of how I refused to allow you to keep my grandchild in the dark about what is going on?" he asked as he brought up his arms and smoothly crossed them before himself, not caring for the way Shizuka was looking at him but he decided to brush it off. "Or were you thinking that she would be able to break the curse being ignorant of the weight of the situation?" he asked only for Shizuka to give him a slightly annoyed look.

"It was not your choice to make! You have had nothing to do with her since right before my mother-" Shizuka started but Uryu gave her a harsh glare forcing her to fall silent.

"You may think I never had anything to do with her, but I was the one making sure Level E's did not find her while she was living under the guise of being human!" Uryu said as Shizuka gave him a shocked look since she knew that for six years Ametsuki had lived with Misaki and had thought she was human up until the fateful night that one had tried to kidnap her. "I even put in the request to the Association to have my own son killed to save her from his clutches." Uryu ground out as he let his arms fall back to his side as they formed into fists. "All because Yukiro knew of the power that she was born with and thought it would be wasted for her to be given to his son, he wanted her for himself."

"So you think that you are grandparent of the year for you doing those things?" Shizuka asked as Uryu chuckled darkly.

"No, I am nowhere near that. Though you should be thanking me for how I spared you from a horrible fate." Uryu said as Shizuka growled at him but he paid no mind as he continued. "Yukiro was furious that his brother got to be with Sachi, and he was near relentless with him wanting you." though at hearing that Shizuka gave him a confused look, something that Uryu once again ignored as he continued to speak. "But perhaps I should have let him have you rather than the curse coming to a head with my grandchild." Uryu said shaking his head only for Shizuka to step closer.

"What does that have to do with the curse?" she asked only for Uryu to shake his head.

"Do not act like you did not sleep with your brother in law." Uryu said as Shizuka moved so she was before him holding him by the throat.

"What do you know of that night?" she demanded only for Uryu to reach up and slap her hand away.

"Only that you're the reason the curse was not broken the moment that Ametsuki and Hanabusa proclaimed their love for one another. Because of your selfish actions, Ametsuki stands no chance of breaking the curse on her." Uryu said as he turned and walked to the window. "Such actions are not befitting of a mother."

/

Ametsuki did not stop running until she was out in the garden as the only light was from the moon and stars above. She felt beyond confused, and even frightened at the memories she had seen due to her grandfather forcing her to remember one and him giving her a view of one that was his own. She soon reached a bench at the far side of the garden as she sank to the ground before the bench not caring about the small rocks digging into her delicate flesh from her knees to her ankles as she leaned over the seat of the bench, her pale arms resting on the smooth warm wood. She leaned forward and placed her forehead on her right forearm that was over her left as her shoulders shook from silent tears as she remained there not even realizing that someone was approaching until she heard a soft voice call her name.

"Ametsuki?" the voice of Ichiru met her ears as she did not even lean up but remained as she was as she continued to cry silently. Though in her silence, Ichiru had become more worried so he walked closer and knelt down to her right and gently rested a gloved hand on her small right shoulder that felt beyond fragile in his open hand. "Please look at me..." he said in a near plea because of how he could hear soft sobs coming from her along with feel the shuttering of her delicate shoulder.

Ametsuki shook her head at Ichiru as she soon found her voice but it was shaking, where she seemed to be straining just to get a full sentence out. "No...I...I don't...want you to...see me...like this..." she said but after she had finished a fully audible sob escaped her lips only for her to seem to bunch up ever so slightly.

Ichiru felt a pang of pure sadness at seeing the one he wished to protect and one whom he loved in this state. But after a moment he shifted his hand away from her shoulder as he slipped out of his jacket only to rest it around her small pale shoulders, something that seemed to have gotten her attention due to how she had leaned up and looked toward him while her long white hair fell about her pale face, but it did not hide the fact that there were trails from fresh tears having fallen from her tear filled cerulean eyes. Though the two of them sat there staring at one another for a brief moment before Ichiru found his voice again. "Why are you so upset?" he asked giving Ametsuki a concerned look as worry could be seen gleaming within his lavender hues.

Ametsuki looked away for a second before figuring she could confide in Ichiru since he was one she saw as a close friend, one that she could trust with anything, even her very life. So after a brief moment she took a deep breath before looking back to Ichiru. "When my grandfather returned a memory to me, he allowed me to see another one, one from his own past." she said her voice shaking ever so slightly before she spoke again. "And in his memory, it was revealed that Aunt Shizuka and I are both cursed since we are from the Hio family..." Ametsuki said looking down so she did not see the shocked look on Ichiru's face at that. "That and before he could tell me more when I woke, Aunt Shizuka and Satsujin barged in and stopped him from saying more to me and in my confusion I ran." Ametsuki said as she held back the dark truth that her own grandfather had been the one to aid in placing the curse.

Ichiru was beyond shocked to hear that both Ametsuki and Shizuka were cursed as he pushed aside his worry since at the moment he could tell that Ametsuki was beyond terrified by the truth that had been revealed to her. "Is there any way to break the curse?" he asked as Ametsuki nodded.

"Yes." she said in a shaking tone. "For me to find love that is pure and true and for it to be expressed fully from myself and the other by the final stroke of midnight on my eighteenth birthday..." she said looking at Ichiru with a sad expression but his eyes had gone wide as he spoke.

"But then it should be broken because you and Aidou are in love and have surely expressed it to one another." he said figuring it best to not reveal that he had seen the two embracing one another shortly after he had brought Hanabusa back to the estate.

Ametsuki shook her head at Ichiru. "I thought so too but it seems something is not right with it because of how it should have broken the curse." she said in a sad voice. "But I do not know what it could be because from the memory grandfather returned to me, I met Hanabusa when we were both still very young and we both love one another..." she said in a sad tone.

/

Kaname walked along the hall toward the room of the girl that he had steadily been seducing as she was already like putty in his hands thanks to how Kal had been treating her like a child despite her being a teenager almost an adult. 'So long as she can fulfil her purpose that is all that I care about.' Kaname thought to himself as he came to the door and inched it open only to see that Amami was already sound asleep, something that for some reason reminded Kaname of his former fiancé, Yuki. 'Why is it that I keep seeing Yuki in her?!' Kaname thought to himself in frustration as he quietly closed the door to avoid waking the princess who was sleeping inside of the room.

"Having a hard time containing yourself?" a smooth voice asked from the shadows as Kaname looked only to see Kal walking toward him from the far end of the hall. "I notice that you have not fed from her in some time, is it due to how she reminds you of a lost love?" Kal asked as Kaname gave him an annoyed look.

"Even if that were the case, I do not see why it would be of any concern to you." Kaname said only for Kal to chuckle ever so slightly.

"I have given you the best crutch possible in our little wager, and yet you refuse to use it to your advantage. Or are you really that keen to give up being king?" Kal teased before turning his back to the other vampire. "Either way I do not really care one way or the other because even if you fail to use the one I have given you, that will not slow me down in my desire to obtain what is rightfully mine." Kal said before he walked away only for Kaname to be beyond frustrated as he decided in that moment that it was time for him to put a stop to the game, for him to keep his position and to wipe that smirk off of Kal's face. So with that in mind Kaname turned back to the room he had been about to enter as he thought to himself that he would allow the princess to maintain her innocence for a few more nights before he claimed her as his own. With that decision he turned and walked away from the door toward the room that he had been staying in.

/

During the few days since finding out the truth, that she was cursed, Ametsuki had all but avoided going near her grandfather who had said he was staying, something that had led to a confrontation between him and Shizuka which ended with it being a compromise due to how both of them wanted to be sure that Ametsuki remained safe. And so at the moment she was in the ballroom sitting on the upper balcony on the rail with her legs hanging over the rail as she was still beyond shook up, and she had been avoiding Hanabusa a bit due to how the curse had not broken but it was supposed to when she found love. Did that mean that the one she felt love for was not the one she was destined to be with? 'There has to be something more to this!' she thought in frustration before she heard faint footsteps approaching her as she was nearly tempted to leave the ballroom since she was wanting to be alone, despite how at the moment she desperately needed to feed.

Before she could move, she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind as she knew the scent right away, that of Hanabusa. She held her breath, fearful that if she inhaled his scent to much she would go insane and attack him. "I wouldn't stand so close…" she whispered only for Hanabusa to shift his arms as he lifted her from the railing and turned her to face him before putting her back on her feet so that her bare feet rested on the cool marble.

"You have been avoiding me, and I want to know why." He said as there was hurt in his voice and in his shining blue eyes. "Is it because of the memory?" he asked in a soft whisper since he now also remembered the fact that the two of them had actually met when they had been no more than small children.

Ametsuki shook her head at him as she looked away unable to hold her breath any longer as she exhaled only to breath normally trying to ignore the sweet scent of the one she loved. "No. It is just that I have had a lot on my mind since grandfather showed up." She said which was the truth but after a second Hanabusa lightly took her hand in his own.

"Part of it being your hunger?" he asked as Ametsuki looked at him with wide eyes that took on a crimson glow for a second before she looked away. "I thought so." He said as he encircled his arms around her only to pull her close as he leaned down ever so slightly. "Go ahead." He said only to feel Ametsuki shift in his arms.

'I really am a pitiful creature…' she thought to herself as she reached up to the collar of Hanabusa's shirt while she undid the buttons to expose the side of his neck only for her to lean in closer as her fangs became more pronounced. 'But his is the blood that I crave above all others…' she thought as she opened her mouth only to sink her fangs into his neck as a few tears fell from her closed eyes as she began to feed on him as she felt Hanabusa hold her closer.

"Hanabusa!" a voice called out from the lower level of the ball room as Ametsuki withdrew her fangs in shock and turned to look back toward the source of the sound to see it was Ruka, and beside her was Akatsuki. "What are you thinking letting her continue to toy with you!" Ruka asked in a low tone as Ametsuki was tense due to how she had only fed for a brief few seconds before being interrupted. Something that was a dangerous factor due to how she was unpredictable when she was deprived in such a way.

"Ruka?!" Hanabusa said in shock as he looked toward his cousin before shifting his eyes to the other. "Akatsuki? What are the two of you doing here?" he asked as he let his arms fall back down to his sides as he remained near Ametsuki not realizing the seriousness of the situation that his cousins were putting themselves in.

"We were sent by your father." Akatsuki said keeping his eyes on the young princess beside his cousin. "We are to bring you back home to find a way to free you from whatever power is over you." He said but that had done it as Ametsuki moved from Hanabusa's side only to jump down from the balcony to be only a short way from Akatsuki and Ruka as she landed in a slight kneeling position before she stood, her long white dress shifting with the subtle movements as her long white hair fell about her shoulders and in her face.

"You dare…" she said in a low tone as she straightened fully. "To break into my family home and throw the accusation that Hanabusa is here against his will?" she said as she slowly started toward the pair not too far from her. "What gives you the right to do so?" she asked in a low tone as Akatsuki and Ruka looked beyond shocked. Possibly due to the fact that the one they had known a year ago was a timid girl who had no idea who she was, but the one before them was a terrifying pureblood princess.

"P-princess Ametsuki…" Akatsuki spoke after a moment all but near hoping that he would somehow get through to the furious young princess. "We…we meant no disrespect-"

However Akatsuki never got to finish the sentence due to how an odd wave of ice shards smacked into him sending him through the air and sliding across the floor before he slammed into the far wall as Ametsuki looked toward him with glowing crimson eyes. "I never gave you permission to speak." She said in a low tone only for Ruka to run over to her and grab Ametsuki's arm.

"You are out of line acting like this!" she snapped only for Ametsuki's crimson eyes to fall on her as an unseen force sent Ruka across the room where she slammed into the wall where it dented in before she slowly started toward Ruka.

"You should know better than to touch a pureblood who has not granted you permission to do so." Ametsuki said only to hear approaching footsteps as she was suddenly pulled back against someone as she struggled with them only to feel a pair of fangs sink deep into the side of her neck as she cried out for whoever it was to stop but they did not release her but fed on her to the point that she went limp in the person's arms and slipped into an unconscious state.

**A/N:** I am so sorry about the delay with getting this chapter up, and that it is not as long as the last one. Though I am hoping that it was worth the wait. The next chapter will be a turning point in the story, so the way it is planned now it will be a long chapter, if not longer than chapter eight. I want to say a very special thanks once again to Myra K Kuran who has been reviewing every chapter of this story. Until next time.


End file.
